The second chapter of Changing with Aging is: Stay silly. Don’t miss an opportunity to play. I look forward to hearing how you put this lesson into practice in your daily life.
I fear I might have too many stories that fit into this chapter. I’ve always loved to play. Here are just a couple of examples that show up in Changing with Aging.
I have a special boulder high up on our mountain. When I sit on it, I feel as if I can sing with the best of stars. Based on my mood, I can sound just like Elvis Presley, Elton John or even Patsy Cline. The jackrabbits dart for cover.
Another time, shortly after one of my back surgeries, I was having a challenging time getting down our stairs. To the rescue came Waldo, my Slinky. Waldo and I would start at the top of the stairs and see which of us could make it down the steps first. Waldo beat me for the first few weeks of my rehabilitation.
One of my favorite memories was playing ping-pong with my dear friend Bob Thompson a few months before he died of congestive heart failure. We had been playing “competitive” ping-pong for over 20 years. Knowing this might be our final game, I secretly put patches of glue on Bob’s side of the table. When I’d hit the special spot, the ball would just stick. We laughed, hugged and called the game a tie for a lifetime.
Now it’s your turn. What’s a silly thing you have been up to?