I spent a couple of hours recently talking with someone I really enjoy that I don’t get to see very often. We talked about everything from evolutionary psychology to the show, “Six Feet Under.” (Which, for the record, we both happen to love and if you haven’t had the pleasure of watching it, get thee to your local DVD rental store or surf on over to Netflix or do whatever you do to satisfy your media needs.)
Although statistics would indicate we couldn’t have a conversation because I’m more than twice his age, we found plenty to talk about. Does this mean I’m immature? It may, but I think it’s more than that.
The last few years I’ve spent some time puzzling over this and I’ve come to the conclusion it’s about the approach you take to life more than anything. Many people my age are burdened. That’s the only way to put it, that I can think of. They are worried about paying for college for their kids and getting their 401K beefed up and what they’re going to do about the credit card debt. Maybe I should be worried more about those things, but two of them are not issues for me so I can devote my thought to other things.
It’s not that I don’t have any worries – I most certainly do – they’re just different ones. And, I see no point in spending hours each day/week/month worrying. What will that accomplish? Nothing. If there’s something I can think about and come up with a solution for that’s different, but just to worry about something, obsess over it – I see no point in that. Either there’s a solution or there’s not. Either you’re going to enact it or you’re not. So get about doing it or let it go. If you’re not going to actually do something, there’s no point in giving any more thought to it.
People who have more of this attitude to life resonate with me. One thing I do notice about people who are more plugged-in is that no one freaks out if I need to check my email or send a text while we’re talking. Everything is easy, casual, laid-back and full of possibility. These folks are usually in a mode of taking in experiences, meeting people, doing things – we may not want to do the same things, but they’re usually doing something, and so am I.
My pursuits tend to be more internally oriented, with a desire to share them at some point. I read. I write. I go to lectures. I listen to podcasts. I create. I have conversation. I take in information and consider it in new ways.
I am blessed to have friends from 19 – 92 who are excited about life and doing interesting things. It’s one of the reasons I do not believe age is an indicator of much of anything except how many years you’re been on the planet. I don’t think it says much about who people are or what we should expect from them.
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