oh my…Happy New Year
I was reminded the other day, that age is just a number. In that moment I thought of a former student of mine (from a wee stint as an interim junior high teacher in the mid-seventies) who always made that comment until she reached her sixtieth birthday and then began to notice changes in her world. We have joked about that on the occasional moment when we get together to reflect with others about how our worlds have evolved.
Well now it seems appropriate for me to more seriously reflect on that particular axiom: I am not so sure that it is anything more than an old-wives-tale. When I turned eighty [80] I was on the beaches at Waikiki, the weather delightful, the people around me wonderful. I felt rather young again and certainly well cared for as I didn’t even have to do most of the driving. So what’s the big deal that now I am eighty-one [81]? Has the world really changed all that much? I am beginning to think it has. In reflecting on where everything is at these days I am noticing some shifts and not all of them are subtle.
Golf is the first thing that comes to mind: while most people who play the game as seniors are not budding pros, many I know are actually playing, if only slightly, better than in their mid-fifties. Me, well as I ended the 2025 season my handicap had soared to 30+, I am playing at least two [2] clubs longer than I did, even up until five years ago, and at times I am not even sure why a shot goes where it does. There is even a sneaking suspicion that few old golf friends (that are still alive) even want to play with me.
I’ve always preferred to bike by myself or at least in a solitary format. This, though, is the first year when on a relatively straightforward trek, had it not been for my grandson who was biking with me, I would like have turned around before ever reaching the ADRA tunnel. Yet through it all I still do enjoy being in my bubble riding into the mountains!
Skiing may be where the most obvious shifting is taking place. After five different ski days, I only managed to reach 50 km/h twice throughout any downhill run. Moreover I wonder if I am now in my post-quad days, as I am preferring the slower, lower triple chair. But, while I am not skiing a lot of runs each time I am out, I am really enjoying this slower pace. I have had two 4**** days already (out of the five on the hill).
As for walking, I don’t do as much nor am I as fast and as purposeful as I was not that long ago. Am I slowing down – it appears so. Am I concerned – not as much as I would have thought I would be. But I am coming to accept that age is not a number it is a sign of growth, a sense of change, and moment of acceptance. I actually have read a book Santa gave me at Christmas. I have watched a number of movies and become a fan of limited series on the telly. And yet, I still go to the gym twice a week, subject myself to a mini-workout two other times a week and for two of the remaining three days, take half an hour on a stationary bike (if weather conditions do not permit a ride on one of my outdoor bikes).
Life begins every day when I wake up. It is different now than it was way back then. But way back then I did look forward to new moments, new adventures. And that hasn’t changed. In a couple weeks I will undertake my annual visitation of my USA-grandsons – each will revitalize me in their own way, each will remind me that they are full of youthful energy while I have a fair amount of aged wisdom, it will be a good time to be alive.
Happy New Year 2026. A wondrous moment indeed. Enjoy it to your fullest!
In reflection,
g.w.