Excuse my self-indulgence. But it finally hit me recently. Hard.
Over the holidays, the arthritis in my left hip took a giant step forward. I think the cartilage there is all gone. The pain is a constant reminder that the clock is ticking, that whatever is on the other side is getting close.
Aging was once just accepted. Today it’s an athletic competition. Time and infirmity are the opponents. You take them on with whatever discipline you can muster.
To be an athlete is to live a disciplined life. Any professional athlete will tell you that. Your time is not your own. It belongs to your trainers, to your sport, and to your goals for success. In the sport of aging, victory may be a good night’s sleep, a day without pain pills, or just seeing the Sun again.
My own World Cup starts next week, with a flight to Europe, followed by two months of bicycling, walking, and listening. Mostly listening. My goal is to collect some stories, gain some knowledge, and have some memories I can use to teach how change happens. That would be a win.
Change is happening. E-Transport, like E-Commerce before it, is moving ahead. It’s all a struggle for efficiency in the name of profit. The market will not be denied.
Aging won’t be denied, either. I now train for everything I might want to do, never missing a day. Once you let yourself go, you’re gone. At some point, disease or disaster will take me, consume me, and drive me into the Earth. I see it every day as friends go to their long rest.
Someday, soon, the game will be over. Until then, it’s game on.
