Right now will be my ‘distant’ past in 10 years; how will I feel about it?
Dear Much Older Warren:
If you are reading this, you made it!
Even so, you will recall there were many times it didn’t seem to be happening.
Remember COVID-19, when hibernation switched from pleasant to burdensome? It was a challenge to be both happy your home was virus-free while heartbroken about the deaths around the world.
I bet you haven’t forgotten the infamous colonoscopy shortly before your 81st birthday, either, have you? It was elective because you have always appreciated excellent health care. But fun? Not so much.
Then, how about the excruciating night of November 3, 2020? You knew Trump would go down, but you were haunted by the Ghost of 2016, so it never seemed a sure thing.
So, how will you look back on your eighties?
If it is anything like the previous decades, it will seem just a blink of an eye. Living with intention doesn’t stop time.
It didn’t help to read ‘inspirational’ quotes, did it?
*Cheer up, things could be worse.
*Growing old ain’t for sissies.
*Age is only a number.
Puh-leeze!
The makeshift workout routine made a big difference. Not Crossfit or some other torture, but just enough.
Then, how do you evaluate a loving partner? Or kind and caring children? I absolutely know they bolstered my spirit many, many times.
So now what? Shoot for 100? It depends.
Quality of life, as they call it, is the key. If you can still walk, can shower and dress yourself, don’t put too fine a point on it. After all, 90 is old.
Another factor, tied for the first position, is your relationship status. Should you be coming up on your fiftieth anniversary, you are good. Otherwise, how did you even make it this far?
It is essential to dismiss thoughts of death because they will drag you down. As our dear friend, Bill Coffin once said, “I have too much to do in this world to worry about the next.”
Do I have any advice? Yeah. Let the past be the past and get on with it. Who knows, maybe you will see 2040.
Sincerely, Your 80-year-old Self
Words from Warren 