I believe that hardly a thought is given to the issue of aging when we are young unless we witness this with our grandparents and parents or if we are called upon to be part of a caregiving group. My father’s mother lived with us in tight quarters when I was very young, and I remember little of her except that she caused him considerable pain. There are moments I recall, but I am unable to connect them. In any case, age meant nothing to me, and I know that I never thought in terms of the future or what the future held for me.
My gang was what was important to me, and the sports activities we were involved in. School was unimportant save for a few activities and one or two teachers that I liked. And so, life was lived each day, and thoughts of growing up and earning a living were never a part of my mental process. In fact, if I did think of the future, I thought being a merchant mariner would be the best way to see the world, an adventure that appealed to me.
Note that it was the adventure I thought of, not the work I might be doing. If I thought about it at all, my future did not manifest itself until my experiences on Okinawa at the end of the 2nd World War. I never thought beyond my belief that I could handle anything thrown my way. Being physical was my answer until I was shown alternatives. Alternatives became my life.
As I reflect, I realize I never planned on getting old. What about you?
What awaits is there—I meet it and it meets me—Serendipity?