Call To Action

Vesuvio Wall from North Beach  sketch by rcw

One would think that becoming a senior means it's time to kick back, do a little fishing, let the youngsters take over.  Sure sounds nice.  We've paid our dues; raised our kids, paid our taxes and so on....sure sounds like it should be our turn for some of the gravy in life!

Sure would be nice if after retirement our bodies did an age-reversal thing...oh, maybe not too far back; just about ten years or so...so that we still had enough stamina to do all the things we planned on doing. But unfortunately it doesn't happen like that-no matter how many artificial body parts and face lifts one gets!

Aging isn't pretty.  It isn't even fair.  But then again, what in life is really fair?  Pretty, I'll grant you; life can be downright beautiful! But fair?  Nope.

Funny thing though, I don't think it's supposed to be fair.  It's a playing field, to be sure-but not a level one!

All through our lives we are challenged; forced to flex our muscles, be they physical, mental, emotional or spiritual-or any combination thereof.  It's what keeps us going, whether or not any of us cares to agree with the notion that what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Truth is truth.

We weren't born with an owner's manual strapped to our leg, nor is there a warranty somewhere to help with the repairs...regardless of your views on health care reform, there isn't that kind of coverage anywhere. Put cold and blunt, we do have a shelf-life. And until the perfect replacement is built,  what we got is what we got. The human body, our vehicle on this road of life.

As we age, different things happen.  Some people age gracefully, some...not so much. Personally, I don't want to age so graceful that there is no zest, no spice to the experience. Keep those challenges coming...perhaps a little modified in keeping with my senior status, but please don't let my life turn dull!

Fat chance that's going to happen!  Have you seen our world lately?

I think the unrest is a call to action, but not of the kind which lends itself to tyranny and inhumane governance.
I think we older folks need to pitch in, not sit back on our laurels.  Those laurels are the experience needed to prevent our country from falling into the wrong hands.

So for today, Fifty Five Is The New Call To Action-as my dear friend, the late Bro Jud once quipped, "Seniors to the rescue!"