I loved everything about this post Jack. The storytelling, the message, the inspiration to embrace a life of movement and sustain it. The man rowing with his legs. Stories of your grandpa Captain Morgan. As I age I struggle with the knowledge I need to keep moving, and the kind of joy I get from connected with others here in a chair online. Thanks for traveling and sending your tales back home, like an emigrant sends money back home from a land of abundance.
...what great inspirations Jack...when i daydream about being an old grouch i vacillate between working forever and whatever "retirement" might mean, and always land my dream on the thought that a life lived active, creative and productive is the life i am seeking...do i want "the grind" to decrease over time, sure...but i don't ever want to take a step back from going/doing/being...i want to surf at 125 and hike a mountain at 133 and to headbang in a pile of amps at my 142nd birthday party...
What a beautiful sentiment to your Bampa, Jack!!! Your words illustrate so clearly how much you loved him and the joy and comfort you found in spending time with him. He would have been touched by your testimony. You bring to us wisdom in your observations of lifestyle differences from other cultures. Regular daily movements and activities that are intrenched in cultures outside of North America seem to hold important clues! We need to learn from these examples and especially from those who have walked before us!!! Your writing once again reminds and inspires me to work harder at this mobility and strength regiment as I age. I am nowhere close to being ready to concede I cannot or am not able to perform physically at a level I always have. Think I gotta keep at it and even push it up a notch or two though! Thanks for your writing, Jack!
This is a very thoughtful and timely piece of advice which is basically about daily movement and also about maintaining muscle mass as long as possible... regardless of age. When people of all ages loose muscle - this is called "muscle waisting' (per my doctor). You can see this on people when their skin is kind of saging. I see this at my gym among all ages quite frankly... but mostly senior citizens like me. And once this happens it is a huge up hill battle to try to get back the muscle, and have the skin firm up is next to impossible. At 72 years I keep on exercising every day even if I am tired. It has paid off after these many years.
This was some of my favourite storytelling you’ve done Jack. Really interesting to see how you tied an ancient memory to something so recent and new. Interesting contrast.
I agree on your expectations for old age. There’s something Europe and Asia has figured out about the role and work of elders in society that North America hasn’t. We excel at a lot of things but generally suck at confronting aging and death.
Lovely piece & the photographs were a special touch
I loved everything about this post Jack. The storytelling, the message, the inspiration to embrace a life of movement and sustain it. The man rowing with his legs. Stories of your grandpa Captain Morgan. As I age I struggle with the knowledge I need to keep moving, and the kind of joy I get from connected with others here in a chair online. Thanks for traveling and sending your tales back home, like an emigrant sends money back home from a land of abundance.
...what great inspirations Jack...when i daydream about being an old grouch i vacillate between working forever and whatever "retirement" might mean, and always land my dream on the thought that a life lived active, creative and productive is the life i am seeking...do i want "the grind" to decrease over time, sure...but i don't ever want to take a step back from going/doing/being...i want to surf at 125 and hike a mountain at 133 and to headbang in a pile of amps at my 142nd birthday party...
What a beautiful sentiment to your Bampa, Jack!!! Your words illustrate so clearly how much you loved him and the joy and comfort you found in spending time with him. He would have been touched by your testimony. You bring to us wisdom in your observations of lifestyle differences from other cultures. Regular daily movements and activities that are intrenched in cultures outside of North America seem to hold important clues! We need to learn from these examples and especially from those who have walked before us!!! Your writing once again reminds and inspires me to work harder at this mobility and strength regiment as I age. I am nowhere close to being ready to concede I cannot or am not able to perform physically at a level I always have. Think I gotta keep at it and even push it up a notch or two though! Thanks for your writing, Jack!
This is a very thoughtful and timely piece of advice which is basically about daily movement and also about maintaining muscle mass as long as possible... regardless of age. When people of all ages loose muscle - this is called "muscle waisting' (per my doctor). You can see this on people when their skin is kind of saging. I see this at my gym among all ages quite frankly... but mostly senior citizens like me. And once this happens it is a huge up hill battle to try to get back the muscle, and have the skin firm up is next to impossible. At 72 years I keep on exercising every day even if I am tired. It has paid off after these many years.
This was some of my favourite storytelling you’ve done Jack. Really interesting to see how you tied an ancient memory to something so recent and new. Interesting contrast.
I agree on your expectations for old age. There’s something Europe and Asia has figured out about the role and work of elders in society that North America hasn’t. We excel at a lot of things but generally suck at confronting aging and death.
Lovely piece & the photographs were a special touch