Giving It A Go

You all know my enduring fixation with getting older, time ticking, living life loudly and all the other ways I package up my growing hysteria to the fact I'm getting older.  So no surprise that I dragging this old chestnut  out again in yet another post.
This is a nice one though.
I just came back from a run through the a lovely bush track which clings to Sydney Harbour (remember the Spit to Manly Katie?).  It's a nice track up stairs, down stairs, along roughish trail, a bit of boardwalks, and killer views.  So as I'm cruising along I pass many groups of others enjoying the track and the nice morning.  I must have been the youngest out there.  The rest of the walkers were older people out walking in groups, walking shoes and backpacks on, and hiking sticks for a little extra support.  They were probably walking a part of the track, with a cuppa planned at the end.
I loved this.
Because the way I see it, they all had a choice what they were going to do with their day today. They could have sat at home, with daytime TV or a book and a bowl of soup for lunch, before popping out to the garden or the shops.  They could have been having a wee catnap or doing a crossword in the sun.  And do you know what, they might choose to do that tomorrow.
But TODAY, today they chose to have a go.  They chose to get out there and to do some exercise while having a chat with their friends as they walked.  They chose to not take the easy option but to take the harder option.
And I think they might be onto something.  Is this the simple answer to keeping ourselves young.  To not take the easy option but to try and stretch ourselves so we choose the harder option.  To just have a go.  And I'm not just talking about physically having a go, but mentally, keeping yourself young in your spirit.
Bear with me another mo'.  I know of two older men in my life who are doing this. My father-in-law is fighting his age tooth and nail. He has just turned 70 and is hard training for a 90km bike ride he's coming to Sydney to do with The Husband later this year.  It's a no brainer, although fact is it won't be a walk in the park for him.  The Husband knows that all he needs to do is suggest something and his dad will be in like a shot.  He is young because he thinks he is.  Another is a good friends father, he isn't physically able to do crazy man stuff (although hello, what do you call a hole-in-one on the local golf course?), but just try and keep him away from any of the mad events his family and friends do.  That's him high 5'ing me as I ran the last 100 metres of my marathon (that may be a beer in his hand, maybe even his second, but it was a hot day).  I started crying when he did that.  He's bloody brilliant.  He will never be an old man because he thinks like a young one.
So thank you to all you walkers out there on the track this morning, especially the really old guy with the smart jersey and tidy shirt on (who I'm guessing was finding the going quite tough), you are inspirational because you made the choice today to have a go.