(#5309) Keeping busy and staying alert

      Some people may ask you after you reach an older age what it took to get to an older age. Well a lot of luck for the most part for me. I did some wild and crazy things in my youth that very well could have ended me back then. So first off surviving my youth was the main objective to surviving into my older age. But after the hubris of youth is lessened the next vital step to living a longer life is to curtail or quit the bad things we put into our bodies. Staying healthy in the areas we can control will go a long way toward living a longer life. But even after that I find now that I am about to turn 68 that my mind and body need to be doing activities that are not only complex but somewhat vigorous.
     Keeping my mind sharp is what I worry about the most. I was athletic when I was younger and understand the need for keeping my body somewhat active. But it is the mind work that is by far for me the most intriguing problem to tackle. I have done puzzles in the past that kept my focus but that was not enough. I found that I need to be making decisions about things in real time that have more consequence than a puzzle on a page. Testing my reaction time to real life in ways that are safe yet also challenging. So the idea of a retirement into hobbies and relaxing are not the answer for me. I have to stay busy with actions that supersede my own expectations.
     Foremost for me is the mind aspect. I cannot nor will not let my mind wander aimlessly because I can. I have the inclination to stay focused so that my mind doesn't start to desert me. I have a lifetime of experiences and knowledge in my head and in no universe do I want to let go of that. So keeping my mind sharp and not worrying about trying to remember every detail is okay. I don't need a razor sharp mind to continue surviving but I do need a good functioning memory and an ability to reason, analyze, and conclude. My mind is the most important aspect of my life that needs to keep up or I fear that the rest of me will not.