Second Lifetime

Yesterday when I was at the gym doing my weight workout after my walk training. I was getting ready to do my brench presses and asked an old fellow to spot for me. I thought he was 70s and in pretty good shape. We talked a bit while he was spotting for me and I was resting between sets.

Come to find out he was 91. I would have bet on him being no older than 75. He said he was living his second lifetime and he didn't want to waste it sitting home. No one else in his known family had made it to the 80s so he had always just kind of figured he wouldn't either. So when he did he called it his second lifetime.

Of course I had to ask him about how he was doing now and what he did to keep in such good shape. He said he walked a lot, did his weights 3 times a week and read everyday. He said he enjoyed watching the movies on TV especially the older movies. His favorite actors were all gone now but he still liked their movies.

Talking to him reminded me of the 5K racewalk competition at the National Senior Olympics. We raced in mass instead of in age divisions. An old man tripped over a manhole cover and went down hard. He was bleeding from several deep scratches but he brushed off the volunteers who ran over to help him and finished the race. He was herded off to the med tent as soon as he crossed the finish.

When we were in the theater for the medal awards I saw him again. He looked like the mummy with all the bandages but he stood their proud as they hung the gold medal around his neck for the 90 to 94 age group.

As senior, I'll turn 57 in 8 days, I notice things like this a lot more. One of the best reasons I can think of to live a healthy lifestyle is that you can LIVE, till it's your time to go. There is an old joke about a reporter interviewing a fellow who just turned 100 years old, the old man says, "If I had known I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself".

Thanks for reading.

Senior Panda