The Thrill of The Ride is the second instalment of my posts on Human Ageing.
Man Oh Man!!!!!
Am I on a roll!
And boy...is life different once you get to the top of the hill or what!
Life is strange, and strange is life.
In fact, the trail we follow through life, and the rough off-course tracks or routes we take and where we end up is somewhere we could not have imagined in pre-life, childhood, youth, adult and even later.
My bike is old with wonky wheels, threadbare tires, brakes that work...occasionally and, the handle bars are bent and loose. The seat? Well...with all the miles my bike has travelled under my bottom, both are sagging however, we are comfortable with each other.
Gosh..what a journey I have taken to make it thus far.
After many years pushing pedals as the hill seems to become steeper and harder, ever upward and now, here I am, cresting the hill.
Know what folks? It is all very different than I, or maybe you imagine.
After spending many years with the feet sure and steady on the pedals, the wheels going round I had many thoughts on what happens not only after I reach the top but also what the ride down the other side would be like. Would I be going flat out struggling to stay on board and finally be tossed off?
This was a question of which the answer was unknown.
I am not sure if we all ride the same metaphoric hill, or whether after cresting, a different picture is revealed, but I will tell you one thing, the outlook, scenery and experience is very different than can be imagined.
I have no need to peddle my bike any longer, I am over the crest and what I see ahead is absolutely fabulous! But although my bike is now an oldie but goodie and still has one wheel at the front, one and the back, two pedals, handlebars and a very old battered leather seat. My bike has done it's job...or has it?
As I pushed over the top of the hill I expected to see a very steep decline ahead which would be traversed rapidly and perhaps with danger. I was expecting my bike to fall apart on the fast descent with such speed that I would fall off, hurt myself badly and to use the bird analogy, 'fall off my perch'.
Man, I have never been so wrong!
My final push on the pedal of the struggle side of life revealed for me, the most unexpected thing.
It may have been a long and arduous uphill struggle all my life, but instead of a rapid decline on the other side, a plateau was revealed. There is no downhill!
The reality over the hill is that we are on a plateau.
The ground is flat, relatively unbroken, smooth riding and there is no downhill nor falling over the edge.
The world is round and is a continuum.
We can do what we want, stop and sit by the roadside enjoying the grass, rain, sunshine or shadow or we can keep on riding and continue being able to experience and enjoy everything around us regardless.
Sure there will be occasional pebbles, ruts, rain and wind, not to mention perhaps a sore bottom from your tired old seat but, the thing is, there is no such thing as 'over the hill', 'going down hill' or other such euphemisms that reflect the ageing process.
Certainly, we will wear out and need to rest, but it is folly to think that when we reach a certain age, we are over the hill. This is silly.
One of the keys to maintaining mental and physical health when chronologically older is to cease looking at a future of doom and gloom. If we think life will be negative and be a downhill slide after we crest the hill, it will indeed be negative and this is because of attitude.
If we think our life will be a easier at the top of the hill, it will be easier because we have a positive attitude that reflects cruising the plateau.
With a high standard of living in most places on our planet, we are able to eat well and maintain our health far better than our forebears. As for exercise, well, we are riding a bike after all.
The human lifespan has increased and the 'baby boomer' and later generations will simply continue doing whatever whenever they want and live far longer than our antecedents however, the time to look after ourselves is now.
So, don't have an 'over the hill and down the other side' attitude.
At the top, rest and enjoy the scenery and plateau out, it is much more fun than going down hill.
Cheers,
Verde.
