I recently was visited by a relative for my birthday; she is a little older than I am. My wife and I were planning to show her around the nearby area. I knew I was coming across as a tired old man, complaining about my aches and pains. Then she said something that gave me a jolt: "Jack, let's get out of that Senior State of Mind (throw away the cane, so to speak!) and get out and do something!" I replied, "OK; spark-plug!" We all went out and had a very vibrant time in the City.
A week later, the visit and her words "that Senior state of mind." were still fresh in my thoughts, when I read an article about a man named Lawrence Jaffe, age 98. Mr. Jaffe is producing his first feature film: "The Girl Who Believes in Miracles." The film has attracted some well-known actors from Hollywood. It was released Easter Weekend worldwide in 2021. Jaffe was asked: "Why at almost a century years old would you want to start a new career?" His reply was, "I guess I have never been one to look back, only forward. That's the secret to a full life." He was asked, as he approaches a century of living, "might there be more films ahead for him in the future?" "Absolutely. I may not be a spring chicken, but I am still clucking."
"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."- Les Brown
Last week I was watching the News Show 60-minutes. There was a segment with Nuremberg chief prosecutor Benjamin Ferencz who at age 27-years-old became the chief prosecutor of 22 Einsatzgruppen Nazi commanders at trial number 9 in Nuremberg. Here is an excerpt from part of the interview given by Leslie Stahl.
Lesley Stahl: You are such an idealist. Benjamin Ferencz: I don't think I'm an idealist. I'm a realist. And I see the progress. The progress has been remarkable. Look at the emancipation of women in my lifetime. You're sitting here as a female. Look what's happened to same-sex marriages. To tell somebody a man can become a woman, a woman can become a man, and a man can marry a man, they would have said, "You're crazy." But it's a reality today. So the world is changing. And you shouldn't-- you know-- be despairing because it's never happened before. Nothing new ever happened before. Lesley Stahl: Ben— Benjamin Ferencz: We're on a roll. Lesley Stahl: I can't— Benjamin Ferencz: We're marching forward. Lesley Stahl: Ben? I'm sitting here listening to you. And you're very wise. And you're full of energy and passion. And I can't believe you're 97 years old. Benjamin Ferencz: Well, I'm still a young man. Lesley Stahl: Clearly. Benjamin Ferencz: And I'm still in there fighting. And you know what keeps me going? I know I'm right.
This March, Ben Ferencz turned 101 and he's still in there fighting. A bust of Ferencz was just installed outside that Nuremberg courtroom where he argued almost three-quarters of a century ago. Below his face, his motto: "law, not war." And he's been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. On top of all this, The man gets up every morning and does 100 pushups!
"There is a certain part of all of us that lives outside of time. Perhaps we become aware of our age only at exceptional moments and most of the time we are ageless."- Milan Jundera
Another fascinating person I ran across this week (call it synchronicity!) is Sam “Sonny” Bryant Jr., a 77-year-old (2020) natural bodybuilder who started working out when he was 44 years old. The muscular physique and strength he achieved by age 72 are amazing (he deadlifted 405 pounds at a bodyweight of 176 pounds). Sonny’s philosophy on aging is inspiring and can change a person's perspective of what is a Senior State of Mind! Here are his 10 pointers:
1. “People have the misconception that age makes you old, but I realize that it’s a state of mind that makes you old.” 2. “Age is just a number." 3. “I want people to recognize what I’m doing and realize that it can be done.” 4. “A lot of young guys, they go home, sit around, watch TV and do nothing – I’ve seen a lot of young guys who are older than me.” 5. “People ask me when I’m going to retire. I say ‘never.” 6. “I, honestly, I’ve never felt like I aged since I started bodybuilding at 44. I don’t feel different.” 7. “As long as I’m busy, I don’t get hungry.” 8. “People ask me when I’m going to act my age. Well, I’m not an actor, and who set the rules about how you’re supposed to act at a certain age, anyway?” 9. “Age doesn’t play a factor in how I feel about what I’m doing.” 10. “If you start thinking you’re old subconsciously, your conscious mind is going to take hold of that and your body is going to start acting old, feeling old. Then you’re old.”
Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.-Betty Friedan
From the Little Shack: I have to thank my visiting "spark-plug" for giving me that jolt! I am MOTIVATED, how about YOU?
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