Better Than The Alternative

As I grow older, I hear more and more people around me say, "I used to be able to do that . . ."  

Some of them may just be reminiscing about those exciting days filled with energetic activities when we were young.  Been there, done that.  However, some "Forever 21" folks seem to have trouble coming to terms with growing older.  They complain as if life is being unfair to them.  They are upset.  They are angry.

Someone once asked me a theoretical question:  If you are capable of doing a certain thing today, do you think you can do it tomorrow?

My response:  I suppose so.

He asked again:  If you can do it tomorrow, do you think you can do it again the day after tomorrow? 

Me:  Well, yeah.  I guess.  

Him:  If this is the logic, whatever we can do today, we should be able to do it in perpetuity.  Right?

Me:  . . . 

This just is not how things work in life.

A three-month-old baby may easily pick up its foot and stick the big toe in his mouth.  A three-year-old child may still be able to do it, but it is going to be a lot harder for a thirteen-year-old.  Yet, a three-month old cannot sit by itself.  A three-year-old is only beginning to get the hang of running and jumping.  A thirteen-year-old can shoot hoops, ride a bike and a whole lot more.  You gain some, you lose some.  Think about it: even someone that young can already lament, "I used to be able to do that . . ." 

It is our nature to want to hold onto things as if we own it and refuse to let go.  But life is not something we get to own.  We just live it.  It is a path of no return.  A moving walkway that nobody can stop.  

When I first started Aikido in my 20s, a practice was not a practice if I was not drenched in sweat.  I was terrible at breakfalls.  Sometimes I wanted to scream because I smacked my thighs so hard on the mat.  Yet, I loved it.  That I call youth.  

Even though I can do better break falls now than before, I would not do one if I can avoid it.  It is because having to do a break fall means I am behind.  I need to catch up with my partner.  Instead, I seek to move more efficiently with my partner all the time.  Big impact moves like break falls undercut my endurance.  Why should I? 

Sometimes, even if you are capable of doing something, you may choose not to do it anyway -- like sucking on one's big toe.  That, we call maturity and growth.  

Keep an open-mind.  Do things appropriate for you age and body condition.  You are not old until you refuse to change with the times.  

Like a good aquarium: fresh water in, old water out.  That's how you keep the fish alive.