The old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be,
Ain't what she used to be, ain't what she used to be.
The old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be,
Many long years ago.
You know that one? My mom used to sing it to me when I was a baby.
It happens to us all, getting older. In general I’m OK with it…you kind of have to be, right? We all have things that bother us as the years pass. My biggest challenge is losing physicality; I’ve been athletic all my life.
A few weeks ago Gary and I watched a young couple do the Lindy Hop the way we want to do it…lots of moves that involve hanging from arms and lunges that require low knee bends. These are out for us…I have shoulder problems and Gary’s knees are often creaky. Could we still do those moves? Yeah, but we might injure ourselves to the point of never dancing again. Not worth the risk.
What I'm trying to do as I get older is internalizing that although there are some things that go away, other things are gained. So... there are a million moves I can't do, but there are a million moves I CAN, such as focusing on techniques a younger version of me wouldn’t have had the patience to learn, like Argentina tango flicks and kicks.
After the young couple danced I went over to their table and told them how good they were and how much we enjoyed watching them dance. The man looked at me with wide eyes and said really? We loved watching YOU, you guys are fabulous.
So there you are. Acknowledge the past, appreciate it in others, but always remember to be the best you can be…right now.
