By Kenneth Stepp
As I speak with other boomers it seems that aging is the topic we land on. So my question silently is "How Do I Age Well"? I looked to the best example i know. My Mother.
The first thing I want to proclaim is that aging with grace can be done. I see it every day. My mom has achieved this. She was so beautiful even by today’s standard of what that looks like. Today, at 84 years old she is still a class act. Strong, smart, and reliable would sum up my mom. And to me, that’s classy.
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As a young man I was really into strength building, endurance training, and seeing how far I could push myself. The picture of me above was in my mid thirties. I thought aging was for everyone but me. Yea, I was really that naive.
One night while traveling home from one side of town to another far too late than I should have been out, I fell asleep at the wheel. The police estimated I was traveling between 100 & 110 MPH when I hit the other car on I-285 that night. Everyone lived without life altering damage. We were lucky.
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Now I have led a life that brought more injuries than most people times ten. Not enough fear, an aggressive personality, and addicted to the feeling of possibly dying. A psychologist and friend of mine that has known me for years spoke up when I told him how I got over my fear of heights. He responded “You never got over the fear, you’re addicted to the fear”. He was correct. I've been beat up a lot. Fights, motorcycle accidents, car accidents, and other self inflicted damages have made pain a daily part of life for me. The accident was a huge factor in me not wanting to train any longer. Six and a half hours every day, 800 push-ups every day, and I just stopped. Bring on the aging process,
As my remaining children move from child to adult I recognize I too am moving. From an adult with few boundaries to an adult that now must create some. I can no longer do the things that once gave me a rush. I can no longer be the alpha male I have been for as long as I can remember. In other words I have to age with grace or age with desperation. And that really is ugly. I am after all, the baby of my family. So I look to my mom once again, like I did when I was five years old. It’s funny how they never stop teaching us isn't it?
My transition from a muscle bound tanned man that can do amazing things to what appears to be the villain in a Popeye movie is complete. I look to the best example I know. Thanks mom. You are amazing.
