In my morning meditations I have been reading from Wendell Berry’s collection of poems, Leavings. Today’s selection struck a chord, as many of his poems do. To my younger friends, may these lines reveal something of what lies ahead. For my contemporaries and older friends, let us remember the always unfolding newness and possibility of the perspectives that can accompany our aging.
I know I am getting old and I say so, but I don’t think of myself as an old man. I think of myself as a young man with unforeseen debilities. Time is neither young nor old, but simply new, always counting, the only apocalypse…Even the old body is new – who has known it before? – and no sooner new than gone, to be replaced by a body yet older and again new.
Bob —
Thanks for sharing your new blog and thanks for this post. I appreciate how views/perceptions change through the experience of aging — no matter the actual age. It’s an ongoing adventure! Yahoo!
Hi Bob, Thank you for your post. Perfect for me this week as I ended up in the hospital overnight unexpectedly for observation. All is well–everything is fine. But we do keep getting introduced to our “new” bodies as they evolve and change. Life keeps bringing new gifts. And so do our “maturing” bodies. Thanks for your insights!
Great to hear from you, Alan. Re: the message to you from your body, some words came to mind that will be familiar to you. As my mentor would say, “What wants to happen here?” Peggy joins me in sending love and light.
Since life begins at 40 I am in good shape at 30 but in fact at 40 I decided to go backward so I am now 10. Things might get tricky in 2021. As you know, age is just a number as long as we think of it that way and if we live each now moment as a quality moment we might live forever. Thanks – to your longevity!
Beautiful Bob. Thank you for sharing.
Bob this rings a bell with me. I guess it’s obvious but it occurred to me a while back that any given age, that particular point in time and experience are all new to that individual no matter how old one or sage they appear. Sobering really…
A young woman with unforeseen debilities is me for sure. I love it!