Myths and Unlearning

Put the mind at ease.

Did you awake one day to find you are an “old guy?” Male or female it probably happens much the same way. The younger me did not foresee these times as an era of tranquillity, but overall, that is what I have found.

My  family still sees me hustling to complete one project then the next, while I move steadily on with an unspoken sense of wrapping things up. I’m dropping mementos of me to bring joy to those I love  for decades to come. I enjoy this work. It gives me purpose. It gives me an outlet for the skills and knowledge I have accumulated over the past seven decades.

My inspiration to explore this blog came from two directions.

First, the myths of aging.

• “Every year you will lose x-percent of your muscle mass.” Expectation: life becomes a spectator sport. Not true.
• “The aging mind becomes more and more forgetful.” Right, as if I have not forgotten names and dates throughout my life.
• “As you age you will calm down and accept thing as they are; you will learn that some things just never change and the fight is not worth the worry.”  Oh, please, surely the words of a thirty something.

None of these myths apply to my life. I would like to know if they apply to yours.

Second, unlearning.

My great challenge today is the continual “unlearning” I experience almost daily. The revelations are disturbing and admittedly difficult to embrace, but we were taught some serious untruths.

I am lucky enough to still teach English 101 at our local community college. I advise my young students (16-60 years of age) that an open mind is the best defense in our fast-evolving world. The same holds for me.

“Normal” is a misdiagnosis. Technology and society have evolved at rate that far out-runs of our organic evolution. Acceptance is the only therapy.

So let’s talk about it. Let’s talk about the grand kids and Khruangbin, sourdough, and free weights.

• Myths….?

• Unlearned?