37. You bet your ass I'm blue

Managing the process of getting old. is complicated , but adapting to change is essential if you want a fulfilling new chapter. I see some people ignoring the ageing process ( like me ) and I see others decline rapidly into sitting on the sofa and wearing their age almost as a badge of honor. I'm no expert, but  feel that the one thing you should do is go way out of your comfort zone , even at the risk of making a fool our of yourself – its now or never !. I'm told, the basics are to focus on health and wellness ( I focus on keeping as fit as possible) which includes medical care ,staying active ,intellectual engagement and social interaction, Then take care of your finances and reduce stress before looking to find a new purpose and identity. You might also consider the spiritual side of life.

Common amongst the elderly is a a loss of friends, a fear of decline and feeling invisible. I'm a great believer in ‘we don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing !’ and ‘we are always the same age inside'. The first one perfectly describes my attitude to life, which is why I’ve taken up boxing ! – gulp. It’s probably worth bearing in mind that 22% of 60-year-olds will die before they are 85 I ( i.e. one in five) What about sky diving,?, become a digital influencer (I have a big social media following ) ,start a business, travel the world ( I’m away 4 months of the year) or write a book or two ( I've written 15 books and 150 songs !)

Keep away from ‘I'm too old for this’ ‘I don’t understand kids today', 'my body is falling apart, ,’you just wait until you get to my age’ or worst still; ‘don't mind me, I'm just an old man’ -yuk !What this is all about is , a cry for reassurance, seeking relevance, coping with mortality and a way to opt out of activities. Your only as old as those you feel ! Just d0 it as the man at Nike would say.

My song abort getting older’ starts with ‘You bet your ass, I’m blue. Is anybody at my age still happy, like who?, You bet your ass, I’m blue. Not sure I can see this through. Not sure I can pretend to be cool. Not sure, I can keep playing the fool’ Funny that the main character believes that nobody is happy at his age ? For me this decade is probably my happiest, I’m free of debt and  responsibility, my grown-up kids are doing great and I’m as fit as fiddle. Our singer does not think he will live much longer ( he's 60 now ), ‘You bet your ass, I’m blue Don’t think  I will live past sixty-two’ – optimistic chap ! He then goes on to sing, ‘Not sure I can pretend  to be cool. Not sure, I can keep playing the Fool’. Pretending to be cool I think is a lost cause and I don’t see any need to play the fool all the time. Just be yourself man -  and man up! Then we hear about his real ambitions, ‘Wanna get chased by police choppers. Go out on the town, to wild parties. I wanna feel like a sex vending machine. Fall in love with a young chick, then sing’ – not sure this is the answer but everyone to their own. Not sure I would know where to to find a wild party and I don’t think we have a police helicopter in our town.

Crikey there’s more, ‘Live on the beach, become a hippie. Get myself a college degree, wear designer stubble, and cute trainers. Pretend I’m young, if I meet strangers’ – like the idea of getting a degree but I don’t think there is much point in pretending you're young- you can fool some of the people……I do like it when he sings ,’ I now confident to travel on my own Don’t listen to folks, who just moan’  - yep that’s how I feel. Then he shouts he wants to go out with a bang ( he could live another 25 years !), ‘Hope I get diagnosed at a dinner party Heart attack, cancer, I’ll ignore baby’ – I would go along with that also but not yet man !

He ends with ‘You bet your ass, I’m blue. Not sure I can see this through’ – of course you can stop being