This topic is always at the forefront of my mind.
I am in education, surrounded by students aged 5 to 15, and I don't feel like my aging process would have been so pronounced this past decade had it not been juxtaposed against a setting of perpetual youth.
The curriculum demands "college and career readiness", but I believe the biological imperative at that age range is really focused on social and emotional development; students figuring out what life is about, and what directions they want to grow.
It forces a perspective on all the adults to consciously consider what aspects of life are genuinely important, and what skills and lessons to impart; which inevitably leads to self-reflection.
I quit skateboarding years ago, though I still felt youthful. A skateboarder at heart, work, education, and pursuit of vice all got in the way at the end of the day when I would normally grab my board.
The self-discipline and mindset of skateboarding transferred to a number of other skills I developed in the interim, and they have all served me well. It was as if I was cashing in on my youth.
Then, about a year ago, I quit drinking. Oddly enough, it feels as if it has accelerated the aging process. Though I have more energy, it makes me feel a bit rigid, having removed a lubricant that protected me from the coarseness of life.
Coincidentally, or perhaps not, around the same time I picked up skateboarding again. It feels as if, having sacrificed the drink, I've been gifted a piece of my youth back.
I don't know how long my old body will allow it to continue, but I will wring every ounce of joy out of it while I still can!
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