Aging well, I believe, is a matter of luck and determination.
Posted yesterday at 11:00 a.m.
Luck: I had a happy childhood with golden parents, I knew (and I still know) love, I had a fabulous career filled with extraordinary memories, I have no worries about money and I am still at 77 in great physical and intellectual shape. What more ?
Determination: all this did not come by itself. Of course, I also experienced failures, disappointments, humiliating moments. At a very young age, I learned that the secret to happiness is to always see the glass half full. Whenever a bad memory comes to the surface, I erase it by replacing it with one of my many good shots.
So much for the past.
Aging well in 2022, after two years of the pandemic, is not always easy.
Beyond what is not obvious, there are also evidences.
The first: health, of course. Easy to say, harder to do. When illness strikes, which we never ask for, we have no choice. But it is quite possible to put the odds on his side.
Well, I don’t want to do my little sermon, but it’s so obvious that we can ward off the disease by quitting smoking (for the few unfortunate smokers who still remain), by eating better (which does not mean giving up a good glass of red or a delicious fillet of beef on occasion), by following the instructions of Public Health in these times of a pandemic, and above all, to move. Walk, ride a bike, play golf, fill your lungs with the good Lord’s air that costs nothing…
The second: love.
To age better is to know how to love. And who knows how to love reaps love in return, with interest.
I have been with my spouse for 53 years, and there is still a very good current between the two of us. We provide support and comfort in difficult times. In happy times, we laugh together. There is not only love, but also a lot of humor in our relationship. And to keep the flame burning, we set aside at least an hour, often two, after supper to talk about every topic imaginable.
The third: friendship. At the turn of sixty, I concocted a little motto: OPP. Only pleasant people ! Young, we can encumber the existence of all kinds of people with whom we get along more or less. Often, we have no choice: a grumpy boss, a difficult client, a foul-mouthed co-worker. Retirement is different. Aging better means surrounding yourself with people with whom you feel good. Choose your friends. Stay away from pests! Take pleasure in sharing a meal with people with whom we have hooked atoms.
The fourth: keep your brain in shape. Around me, I noticed that many people, after years of active life in the labor market, feel a kind of intellectual exhaustion when they retire. È an erroras we say in Italian.
There are ten thousand ways to maintain a clear and quick mind, and it’s so much more enjoyable.
Crosswords, sudoku, reading, scrabble, card games, painting, chess. Personally, I take great pleasure in inventing new games. And I save myself at least two hours a day for intellectual activities.
The fifth: live within your means. This is more true than ever as inflation begins to show its nose. Aging without financial worries is happiness. Again, that’s easier said than done. I had the chance to make good investments. But not everyone can say the same. Nevertheless, even with relatively modest incomes, the person who lives within his means goes to sleep at night much more serene than the wealthy person unable to settle the balance of his credit cards.
Last but not least, take life on the bright side. In the 1950s, the singer Perry Como interpreted a real gem: “Catch a falling star/Put it in your pocket/Save it for a rainy day” I made it my leitmotif. That everything becomes easier when you see the blue sky when it thunders and when it rains (I am repeating here the theme song of the Happy Troubadours, from late memory). That’s not to say you have to view life with rose-colored glasses. Our national Justin takes care of it. Life has difficult times. There are the thousand little hassles of everyday life. We are just emerging from two painful years of COVID-19. Ukraine is on fire and blood. There is Trump!!! But through it all, knowing how to appreciate the good times in life is definitely a great way to age well.