Aging is a natural part of life. As we grow, our body starts to get weak and unable to do the things we once enjoyed. We lose skills that we were once good with; that's why people lose skills like football skills. Growing up, during my high school days, I loved football and was good at it. I played as a winger and would often represent my school in inter-school competitions. However, after I graduated from high school, it seemed as though my football skills magically vanished. Now, when I try to play football in the neighborhood, I'm unable to move with the ball like I used to. Similarly, it is the same with gaming skills. I was never a big-time gamer, I often read posts and watch reels on Instagram where people discuss how age affects their gaming skills. Aging is a natural part of life, and losing these skills is inevitable.
At some point in our lives, our eyes stop becoming as sharp as they used to be, our walking steps become really slow, and we might even start to stagger, and our once smooth face becomes wrinkled. Our fingers, once firm and strong enough to hold things tightly, start to shake and lose grip on things. Knowing that these changes are inevitable, what should we, as humans, do in preparation for them? Today’s edition of the INLEO prompts asks us how we should cope with aging.
This topic reminds me of Tangled, a popular cartoon. I'm sure many people have seen it. The cartoon revolves around Rapunzel, a girl with very long, magical hair that has the power to grant youth. A witch kidnapped her when she was young and took her to a secluded place, where she pretended to be her mother. The witch is an old hag, but whenever she needs to regain her youth and vitality, she sings and uses Rapunzel's hair. In the end, the old woman faced reality: she lost her hair and became an old hag once again. This teaches us that aging is an inevitable part of life, and we shouldn't try to escape it. Instead, we should accept the fact that we're growing older and find joy in it.
Another way to navigate aging with confidence is to make friends and keep healthy relationships with good people. When you’ve grown old, it’ll be difficult to start making new friends. Have you ever seen a movie, especially an American musical movie where the band of musicians is a group of old people who have probably been together since their youth days? Isn’t that beautiful? Wouldn’t it be beautiful to spend evenings with your old friends where you guys would talk about the old days, play games, or simply enjoy the joy of silence? I’m pretty sure old people feel more comfortable around friends and family their age.
Build your body for what is to come. You should know that the decisions and choices you make now will affect you when you grow old. So, when you smoke and drink, keep it in the back of your mind that you’ll pay for your wrong choices when you grow older. What you do during your youthful days, matters when you’ve become old and the hair on your head is now white. Regular exercise is one of the ways to prepare your body for what is to come. There are old people who walk firmly without a stick or anyone’s help and can still carry out activities. Eat good fruits at least three times a week. Lastly, minimize your intake of alcohol and sugar.
This is my entry to the INLEO weekly prompts for day 25.
Thanks for reading.