The Aging Process

I have had several recent reminders about the aging process. Passing my 69th birthday was the formal reminder; followed by a visit by our 43 year old son and daughter-in-law; and the reduced distance I am getting off the tee is a regular reminder. I am beginning to suspect that my parents only bought me a one-way ticket at birth.

No matter how different we are in our lifestyles, our belief systems, or status in life, the aging process is something that we all have in common. We may experience aging at different paces, and deal with different speed bumps along the way, but we all appear to be moving in the same direction.

I believe that our attitude toward the aging process makes it either a pleasant journey, or an ordeal. Florida is a wonderful laboratory for a study of how people age differently. We are blessed with more than our fair share of folks in the latter stages of the trip. I have learned a lot from my Florida friends in the 11 years since we moved from Indiana—both how to age gracefully, and how to be miserable.

If we live long enough, almost all of us will experience serious challenges. It is the reality of aging. Our lifestyles can impact on the quality of our lives, but a healthy lifestyle is no guarantee against disease, injury, or other problems. It is how we deal with life’s “issues” that can make the difference.

I occasionally observe negative attitudes, whether I am on the golf course, having a beer after golf, or involved in a real estate transaction. There is no shortage of topics to complain about, from health to politics to food service to home prices to the stock market. It is easy to get “sucked in” to this negativity like a giant energy vortex. When faced with such an atmosphere, I do my best to offer a positive slant to the situation. Sometimes, I am successful. If I fail to dispel the negativity, then I tend to distance myself from the complainers if I can.

Fortunately, I have been blessed with mostly positive, loving attitudes among my family, friends and clients. These are the folks who inspire me, and they are the “birds of a feather” with whom I tend to share my life. These are the people who teach me how to enjoy my time here, no matter what is happening around me. I suspect that I am not alone in feeling this way.

If you have moved to Florida from somewhere else in the world, I would be interested in hearing about your experience of the aging process.