I sat across from a 75 year old gentleman recently and reminded myself that I’m nearly 50.
When I reach his age I will be much like him (if I’m lucky enough to reach his age that is).
I will be slower and perhaps more considered. I will be less dexterous and my hearing will be sh*t and my eyesight will be poor and I will be unable to do the work that I do now.
If I retire at 65 I will be slow and the highlight of my days will be walking a dog or going for a coffee or clearing the leaves in the garden.
At the moment I am two thirds of the way there.
I don’t remember so much about the first half of the first third but I managed to pack a lot into the second half.
I have packed an extraordinary amount into the second third, from my midlife crisis at 25 (honestly) to my birthday next year.
And so, I enter into the last third in just a matter of weeks (I’ve already resolved that I won’t be living till I’m 100) and so I should think very carefully about what that third will involve and contain and produce.
I will spend sabbatical 4.0 from the 17th of December until the 7th February considering just that question but reflecting on the 75 year old who I sat across from most recently, I am certainly not yet prepared to go quietly into that dark night.
It’s possible to design a life which doesn’t involve a sprint towards early retirement and then decades in an armchair watching SKY sports.
Stimulation requires tension and seeking out the tension to provide the stimulation is essential to keep me out of that armchair.
Blog Post Number - 2896
Leave a comment