“Diana Nyad, 60, Swimming From Cuba To Florida” the headline reads. Diana is a renowned distance swimmer, writer and commentator on NPR. She woke up at 60 and remembered that once years ago she had to abort the try from Cuba to Florida and now it was time to do it. For her and for all the boomers that think life is winding down. She said in the interview “Ninety Five is old. Sixty isn’t old.” So true. Even 70 isn’t that old. But 95? Might not be and here is the reason: Chester Reed. Postal worker retiring at age 95. He figured it was time to do other things in life. His goal is to reach 100. His secret is eating watermelon and onion sandwiches. The watermelon keeps him peeing and the onions keep the muggers away.
Both of these stories are inspirational, but for different reasons. Nyad’s because she is going to try to be the first person ever to swim the Florida Straits without a shark cage. And she is 60 years old. Younger folks have done this in a cage. Keep your fingers crossed that the shark experts on her team know what they are doing.
Reed is ending a career at 95 and since he is very hale and hardy he doesn’t have to retire. He just wants to do something new. At 95. Does he seem old to you? He doesn’t seem so old to me. I would agree that 100 is old, though. My thought here is that me and some of my friends are between 60 and 100, and somewhere in there “not-old” becomes “yes-old”. Where is the 64 billion dollar question? And the answer is (music) when you think you are old, you are. Nyad isn’t. Reed isn’t. I am’ent. (Like that? I made it up when I was 3.) And neither is Rich (although some would argue this point). So you “youngsters” out there get on with it! Make lots of money so Social Security and Medicare will be there for us “not-oldsters”. We’ll tell you when to quit. And that will be when YOU get old. Ha. Because we are planning for a long, long run.
Image: www.postalreporternews.net/.../06/creed1107.jpgImage and story on Nyad: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5
Both of these stories are inspirational, but for different reasons. Nyad’s because she is going to try to be the first person ever to swim the Florida Straits without a shark cage. And she is 60 years old. Younger folks have done this in a cage. Keep your fingers crossed that the shark experts on her team know what they are doing.
Reed is ending a career at 95 and since he is very hale and hardy he doesn’t have to retire. He just wants to do something new. At 95. Does he seem old to you? He doesn’t seem so old to me. I would agree that 100 is old, though. My thought here is that me and some of my friends are between 60 and 100, and somewhere in there “not-old” becomes “yes-old”. Where is the 64 billion dollar question? And the answer is (music) when you think you are old, you are. Nyad isn’t. Reed isn’t. I am’ent. (Like that? I made it up when I was 3.) And neither is Rich (although some would argue this point). So you “youngsters” out there get on with it! Make lots of money so Social Security and Medicare will be there for us “not-oldsters”. We’ll tell you when to quit. And that will be when YOU get old. Ha. Because we are planning for a long, long run.
Image: www.postalreporternews.net/.../06/creed1107.jpgImage and story on Nyad: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5
I was going to leave a comment, but as I thought about it, what I wanted to say was too short/too glib, or too long winded. So, I don't have anything to add - just thanks, Woody, for sharing these two people's stories and your thoughts!
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