Aging
Five years ago, my father announced he was too old to drive. (I did not know this at the time, but he has Parkinson’s, which was the reason.) This statement made me confront that someday, old age will force me to give up the privilege of driving. Of course, technology like Uber has made this issue less debilitating, yet I love the freedom to go wherever I want.
As I drift into middle age, I find physical activities more difficult. My memory is not as sharp, and my interests are dwindling. Fortunately, I have a fountain of youth: my daughter.
Her life is full of good intentions, playful activities, and wonder. Yet watching her learn that the world is not ideal is heartbreaking. People are mean, aggressive, and selfish.
She read about the American War of Independence yesterday and commented, “All wars are the same. It’s just people shooting at each other. The only thing I learned is that if I do not shoot anybody, there will be no war. Learning about all that junk will not make me a better person.”
I explained that this topic is indeed important, and it is essential to learn about the past so we do not repeat the mistakes. Of course, this is the voice of reason, the wisdom of a mature individual who struggled through history class, and a father who wants his daughter to have a good education.
I am more conservative, take fewer risks, and have sidelined many frivolous activities. For example, I wanted to build a dune buggy since age zero. My back hurts, and the thought of bumping around at high speed is no longer appealing. Is the fact that I will never own a dune buggy disappointing? Nah, I can live with that.
My writing reflects this transition, meaning my plots and characters are not wild. Instead, they are conservative, realistic, and well-defined. Of course, I try to buck this old-guy trend by injecting as much youthful energy as possible. This includes writing about immortals, young characters, aliens, and spies. Yet, it is clear an older writer created these characters.
Getting old is not all bad. My perspective of the present and future has sharpened, allowing me to see my life’s big picture and what the world is doing. Plus, this perspective leads to better character development.
I will turn 55 in October, and I am neither looking forward nor dreading this day. With some luck, I will spend a few hours that day writing.
You’re the best -Bill
August 07 2019 Updated July 13, 2024
As I drift into middle age, I find physical activities more difficult. My memory is not as sharp, and my interests are dwindling. Fortunately, I have a fountain of youth: my daughter.
Her life is full of good intentions, playful activities, and wonder. Yet watching her learn that the world is not ideal is heartbreaking. People are mean, aggressive, and selfish.
She read about the American War of Independence yesterday and commented, “All wars are the same. It’s just people shooting at each other. The only thing I learned is that if I do not shoot anybody, there will be no war. Learning about all that junk will not make me a better person.”
I explained that this topic is indeed important, and it is essential to learn about the past so we do not repeat the mistakes. Of course, this is the voice of reason, the wisdom of a mature individual who struggled through history class, and a father who wants his daughter to have a good education.
I am more conservative, take fewer risks, and have sidelined many frivolous activities. For example, I wanted to build a dune buggy since age zero. My back hurts, and the thought of bumping around at high speed is no longer appealing. Is the fact that I will never own a dune buggy disappointing? Nah, I can live with that.
My writing reflects this transition, meaning my plots and characters are not wild. Instead, they are conservative, realistic, and well-defined. Of course, I try to buck this old-guy trend by injecting as much youthful energy as possible. This includes writing about immortals, young characters, aliens, and spies. Yet, it is clear an older writer created these characters.
Getting old is not all bad. My perspective of the present and future has sharpened, allowing me to see my life’s big picture and what the world is doing. Plus, this perspective leads to better character development.
I will turn 55 in October, and I am neither looking forward nor dreading this day. With some luck, I will spend a few hours that day writing.
You’re the best -Bill
August 07 2019 Updated July 13, 2024
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