If You Could Stay One Age for the Rest of Your Life
What would it be?
The lovely and talented Mrs. Ward and I were enjoying our morning coffee when she hit me with the question. If I could stay one age for the rest of my life, what age would it be? I have said on many occasions that I would not trade my current stage of life for any that has gone before. But it might be interesting to give it some thought.
I will turn 68 this summer. I’m in decent shape and relatively good health and for the most part I am content with life. But what if I could be some other age and actually stay that age for all the years I have left? My first thought was probably the one that comes to mind for a lot of people. The age when I was in my physical prime.
I was 27 years old and stationed in New Hampshire in the Air Force. I was also in the best physical shape of my life. I ran fast and lifted heavy weights. I played squash with enthusiasm, if not much skill. I enjoyed cross country skiing as well as rock climbing in the White Mountains and the boulder fields of southern New Hampshire.
As Bob Seeger sang:
“I was lean and solid everywhere. Like a rock.”
But I wasn’t a content rock. I was young and relatively immature. I was disappointed with how my career was playing out and I was obsessed…
