He’s our age???

This is something Michelle hears from me time and time again. We will be watching TV, or see someone when we are at dinner, or mention someone from work. And when I hear is is close to our age or younger, I do a double take… He’s our age???

Now for those who do not know, I hit the big double Nickel this year. Yep 55. I am a bit up there.

But, not to beep my own horn, the further I get, the more I am learning there is a HUGE difference between people the same age. Not all 55 year olds are build alike. 

Now we all knewback when we were kids and we had kids, that not all progress at the same speed. Different kids learn to walk and talk at different ages. Tying your own shoes can be challenge for some kids, as it reading or learning to do a cartwheel. (NEVER did master that one!) Hell I didnt learn to ride a 2 wheeler till the 2nd grade.

Somehow or other, about the time we all start jobs, we’ve caught up with each other and can essentially walk, read and dress ourselves well enough to function in the world. There are some exceptions Mark still needs a sippy cup some times! (just kidding buddy! (He is SO going to hurt me! (If I go missing, check his back 40 for a fresh 5’7″ long hole…..)))

But now that the 50s hit, it seems to reverse. Now it is: What can we still do?

Well I still can’t cartwheel.

I think I can still drink a beer standing on my head…

I am no longer the runner I used to be.

Nor the mountain climber.

And honestly I am ok with that. Shoot given where we live now, there is a distinct lack of mountains!

But, I look at what I CAN do still and that makes me happy.

I am a better bike rider than some people half my age!  I can saddle up now and do 40 miles without even tryin. I could do a 60 mile day but feel it the next morning, and give me a month to train, and I’d give you 100 miles!

But, now I feel the need to explain why this is important to me…

I do not gain happiness from doing something others can’t or won’t. My happiness comes from he fact I can still do what I love!

I work close to 50 hours a week at a desk on a computer. I do NOT love this! But it pays the bills, and got us the place we want to live, the Oregon Coast.

Where the joy comes, is the fact I can get on the bike, and experience 40 miles of the coast without be surrounded by a car?

What does this mean? Well, check this.

I was riding through Depoe Bay and saw whales spouting. Had I not been not the ride I woulda missed it.

My joy comes from he fact I can get OUT of a car, and get close to the world I live.

I can even find joy without ithe bike. Hell, today the it stayed in the garage, but I got out of the car and walked down to the beach. Barefoot, I traveled all over Devils Punchbowl beach

I walked over rocks and waded some salt ponds, and found a tide pool in a rock that was in a tide pool

 

How many would never see this as they won’t leave the car or walk.

I had my GoPro working again and made a crab VERY angry (not on purpose!)

Here is a close up

I also spotted these guys in the tide pools (rock crab)

and sea anenome

All in all I spent an hour or so walking the beach, climbing rocks and kneeling down to look into tide pools. Never once did I have to worry about not being able to do it, or having to sit and rest. I didn’t need a nap afterwords nor am I worried about being all worn out tomorrow.

It comes down to this.

Soon I will be 55.

I look in the mirror and see gray hair, a spare tire, and scary assed eyebrows!

But I FEEL young. I LOVE life. I LOVE my wife. And I love where I live.

How can you not love a place when you get a sun down like this

And just a few hours late a moon set like this!

Yes, I admit it I take pride in the fact I can outride many 27.5 year olds. But not because I am better than them, but because it lets me do what I love, I see things others miss and I can be confident I gots lots of miles left in these legs and years in this body!

A helluva lot has changed in the 55 years since I was born and the 25,000 miles I have pedaled since I started this blog, but I have NO regrets!

Like the wind folks!