Experience Has It's Positives...

I was going to write a blog post about aging...but I just decided that, well...I wanted to go swimming with the pups instead...sigh. Summer is fading fast and I want to soak up as much as I possibly can. So I am late...the story of my life :)

Better late than never...right?

 

A great weekend with music was what happened this past weekend...and it made me really think of aging...

 

Then I read this blog by Tori, and it really hit home for me...aging...

 

Not in a fatalistic sort of way (yes I am aware we are all going to die)..but more in a "wow how sad people just toss themselves away due to their ages" type of way.

 

I've never really been a hugely great judge of age...mainly because it doesn't matter to me and I really don't like when it's used as an excuse. Sure, we are all getting older...but with that age, comes the experience that those younger don't have quite yet.

 

Even though at that age I so thought I knew it all :) Sigh...what was I thinking??

Age isn't a reason...it's just a number...

I run into people that are older who don't think I can help them at seminars...

 

I always joke with people who tell me during seminars "WELL YOU CAN RUN"...and my response??

 

I don't run fast, I run SMART...BIG DIFFERENCE. Watch my you tube videos. Seriously. Run Smart...that's the key if you are drastically slower than your dog.

 

Whenever I get an older student...I actually get super excited! Because I can help them communicate on course the best way available to get their runs to be flawless, YES IT CAN HAPPEN!!!! I don't look down on people for being older, I look at the possibilities, and when teaching people in this category...I wish they would give themselves more credit!

 

Back to the weekend...

 

I sat watching an amazing group of musicians...like seriously amazing, playing together (many having never played music with each other). Most were probably 20 years my senior or older...and several of them I had heard in the past say they were "too old" to play music anymore...blah blah blah (can you see the eye roll??) They were using the excuse of age...

 

My question was...to justify what?

 

I wasn't sure...what I was seeing was a group of kick ass musicians...making some amazing music...perfect timing, perfect playing...experience and a LOT of hard work...

 

You could tell it, you could hear it, you could feel it.

 

I didn't think twice about what age they all were...

 

I didn't care. Because they knew their stuff. I can't say anyone else gave a crap either.

 

And those musicians...who complained about their age, about the gray hairs, etc etc...were having a blast...making music...

 

As far as I'm concerned, they were all 25. Full of passion, energy, with amazing talent...

 

I know of an 80+ jazz guitar player....amazing....and he doesn't give a crap he's older...he's doing what he loves...I have so much respect for him it's insane...

 

It's amazing as we get older, we start seeing ourselves somehow as "less". When in reality...we really are more. More experienced, more patient, more knowledgeable about everything. We have learned from our mistakes (and mistakes of those older than us!) and I think it's sad to see people give up, or limit their passion just because of the excuse...I'm older...

 

We might change how we do things, or even find a completely different niche with our passions, but giving it up because of the excuse of "I'm too old for this"...well...

 

I think that's just crap.

 

And to people who use the phrase "Well they're just old...who cares" remember...always, you are getting older EVERY SINGLE SECOND OF EVERYDAY. Karma...just sayin'

 

I cherished my grandparents...they taught me so much. I have had the blessing of having several "parental figures" that were not actually my birth parents (aka we moved to college and then later to MN and I was kind of adopted by some) and I am grateful for their wisdom and support. I have learned so much from those older than me...

 

They were the reason I went to college, they were the reason I made a difference in this world. They were the reason I didn't make more stupid mistakes...thank you.

 

I try to also pass down my knowledge as much as I possibly can...That's how life goes right? The hardest part for me is seeing a younger person going down a bad path...and trying hard to keep them from making the same mistake you did...but then I remember how I was at that age...and yeah, I didn't listen well either :)

 

Like Tori said in her blog, encourage these people...they are the future...

 

Speaking of ages for young people....I have met MANY amazingly mature 19 year olds....and some amazingly childish 24 year olds...again...age really doesn't play into things...it's what's inside that matters. Age is just a number...

 

I can be a VERY immature 34 year old...seriously...like worse than some 13 year old girls (add in a very perverted mind and BAM...scary!)...yeah...it can be bad ;-)

 

Sorry for that aside...anyway.

 

For those of you thinking you are too old...please give yourself credit, give yourself value. You are enough, you are amazing and have some awesome talents. Just because you can't run a 4 minute mile doesn't mean you can't be an amazing teacher, or knitter, or dog trainer or musician.

 

Never stop learning, never stop doing what you love. Regardless of your age.

 

Life is short enough! Make your own damn music :)