I LOVE TO LIVE

          A few people have asked me what's it's like to be 70 - no difference than 69, said I.  But I can tell you this - there's quite a difference between 50 and 70.  I'm definitely slower now, not so much mentally, and I ache a whole lot more - wake up at night every time I have to turn over.  That's enough of my whining - age 70, if you're still in basically not bad shape, aren't packing a huge amount of weight, don't drink and smoke on a daily basis to excess, still have sex on a regular basis - life is bloody good, says I.  Oh yeah, and did I mention if you don't have a lot of huge bills and aren't a manic depressive - life is just bloody grand.  Retiring isn't the answer even if you have gobs of money and can travel the world, go out to eat every day, drink the finest wines and dress to the nines - it's keeping busy and having an outlook to the future that matters.  Some people complain that they are often bored and I can tell you that word doesn't exist in my own personal vocabulary.  Being busy and physically active, even if the chores are a little harder at this age is better than sitting on one's ass in front of a computer or TV for long periods of time - being sedimentary is the fastest road I know that leads to the cemetery.
          Most of the hard work that I undertook, beginning in the spring, is coming to an end soon - I can actually see the light at the end of the tunnel and it's beckoning me to pick up my brushes once again and splash a little paint on some canvases.  I'm planning on having an artistic and creative winter - so the snow can come as soon as it likes.  Since painting isn't exactly a physical endeavour, I'm going to buy a pair of snowshoes or mend the ones I have - plan on doing a little hiking through the snow  - it's a good time then, because all the bears are hibernating.  Planning on doing a little carving with a master wood-worker too - my knives are all sharpened and I plan on making some beer - good conversations and whittling by a hot wood fire with a cold beer at hand doesn't get much better for me on a cold winter day.
          I'm amazed at how many people are literally chained to their lifestyles, being overloaded with high mortgage and car payments and a job they don't especially care for.  In this country of ours and I suspect even in the US, there are places where a person can live and have very little debt - of course, they may not be living close to their relatives and friends any longer and the weather can be harsher.  I've never been able to understand why so many people load themselves up with so many things that make them slaves to the system - going after the Great American or Great Canadian Dream is just a lot of crap that's been fed to us like pablum to babies and it should be flushed down the drain.  It's amazing, what many would believe to be a major change, so when one does finally break away from the mundane system of their daily lives, how much brighter the future looks.  However, that being said, one has to honestly grip one's new life tightly and learn to adapt - like a chameleon, blend in and make a substantial effort to live a slightly different way.  For me, having lived in major cities, on a sailboat for many years, running my own demanding business with a small host of employees and now moving to a semi-wilderness farm in a part of the country I'd only ever seen on TV or in magazines, the change has been dramatic but then I thrive on the spice of life and the challenges it affords.  If I could have only one wish to make my life a touch easier, it would be to turn back the clock to when I was 50 - have very little pain and a lot more energy - I don't know about you but I love to live - cheers - eh!