Last year I read a book entitled “Gun Lap” by Robert Wolgemuth. The book addresses a common misconception. That misconception is that as we age, we must wind down. He says the following in his introduction.
“The point here will be for us to reflect on the years that have gone by, and even more to embrace the amount of sand that still lingers above the pinch of the hourglass, to be encouraged about the possibilities that remain in each grain. Not discouraged, but encouraged about the time that’s left to run. To be as intentional as you can be about what’s ahead.” (1)
No rational person would deny that from a physical, and sometimes mental standpoint, we have no choice but to slow down. In some instances, failing health or disease my make those decisions for us. It’s often a hard and complex decision. Professional sports are filled with athletes who have failed to recognize the decline of their physical strength, reaction time, energy, and so forth. And it shows in their performance, where they are often a shell of what they once were.
That being said, we should attempt to age wisely. My wife says, “We should at least use a little common sense.” And that is 100% true. At this point in my life, I simply cannot do some of the things that were at one time easy and routine. It’s critical that we be honest with ourselves. We should also listen to the voices of trustworthy people who have been there, who have walked down that road, and who have experienced the complications and implications of aging. We should take the counsel of our medical professionals, giving their counsel the consideration it deserves.
However, we may also hear many other voices. It’s true that some of these voices belong to people who are in their silver or golden years, and have made conscious decisions regarding how they will age. They have chosen to travel, take up new hobbies, or pursue a second career. Others have decided to simply slow down. Their opinions or advice come from a lifetime of learning and firsthand experience in growing older. We can all learn from these folks.
On the other hand, there are voices from people, often younger, who have not walked in our shoes, and who have no idea about the aging process, other than what they have read or assumed. I would suggest that we take their advice with a grain of salt. Make that two grains. While their advice may be well-intended, and often loving, it’s important for those of us who are older to recognize that those who are younger don’t always know what we know. So, when I receive such advice, I listen, I consider, and then I make my own decisions. I don’t say this with sarcasm or with a lack of appreciation for their concern for our well-being. It’s simply how I process their information. That’s another benefit of aging. We get to decide whether advice is good or bad and to whom we should listen.
But I digress. I’ll get back to the book I just referenced. Most of you know the meaning of the metaphor “gun lap.” It relates primarily to track events, and is the final lap of an event, marked by an audible signal, given by a gun of some type to let runners know that they are closing in on the finish, and hopefully a victory. Most events today use a simulated gunshot or electronic signal as opposed to an actual pistol. As a former marathoner (a slow one), the only gun I usually heard was to signal the start of the race. I only ran one track event which included a one-mile race. The first two laps were exciting, while the third was brutally difficult and left me gasping for air. As I approached the turn and heard the firing of the gun signaling the fourth and final lap, the gun lap, I found a new source of energy and was able to push through and celebrate what I had accomplished.
So, I can’t truly speak from a lot of experience to the reaction when you hear the gun to start the final lap. But I know how I responded. There was no thought of “taking it easy”. And when I watch track and field events on television, I’ve never seen a runner conserving their energy at that point and riding out the race. Without exception, the response is to pick up the pace, to use all the energy that is left in the tank, and as runners are prone to say, “leave it all on the track!” On the final lap, there is no reason to conserve energy. The finish line is close at hand!
I believe the same is true as we age. We reach a point when we have to realize that anything we want to accomplish must have a high priority on our life list. As in all things, we must seek balance. And again, the conventional wisdom is to slow down. But that is not always the right decision.
My children, along with my wife, sometimes worry that I am going to overdo it. I was the same way with my dad. But as I watched him age, I realized that his energy was better spent doing the things he loved as opposed to sitting around and “resting.” The same has proven to be true in my life. I don’t ignore the fact that I have limitations. I can’t do as much as I once did. I take more breaks. I also look for ways to make the job easier. For example, sometimes I lug that 50-pound bag of fish food to my pond on my shoulder. At other times, I’m wiser and use my trusty wheelbarrow. Still, at the end of the day, I make that decision.
Unfortunately, society, businesses, churches, and governments often tend to put people out to pasture, to use an overused cliché. They obviously do so with good intentions. There has to be a balance between providing opportunities for the younger and recognizing the value of the older. That’s not always easy, and most organizations do the best they can. And as a result, there are those who benefit from such decisions, and those who don’t.
But in the long run, those decisions by others don’t necessarily have to matter. While the old opportunities may not be there, we can and should look for new opportunities to make sure we live our life out to the fullest, and accomplish many of those goals that we have set over the years. It’s true that when one door closes, another door opens. We just have to look for that door and recognize it when we see it. I have seen some doors close. I have personally closed others for various reasons. But I’m looking for those new doors and walking through them when they open. If you’re part of what the masses consider “elderly,” I hope you’re looking for and finding those doors too.
Let me share the words from a song with you.
“So when they tell you that you’re finished
And your chance to dance is done
That’s the time to stand, to strike up the band
And tell them that you’ve just begun.”
You may recognize those words from the song “Trip a Little Light Fantastic” as sung by Mr. Dawes, Jr. in the movies “Mary Poppins Returns. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAHM08OxSfU
Dick Van Dyke sang that song in the movie. I believe he meant ever word. He is ninety-nine years old, and will hit the century mark on December 13 of this year. He’s probably heard a few negative voices over the years. But he’s still going. As long as God gives me strength and ability, I want to do the same. By His grace, I will. I hope you will too.
Keep moving.
(1) Wolgemuth, Robert. (2021). Gun Lap: Staying in the Race with Purpose. B&H Books