Monday, January 25, 2010

Keep on Keeping on

At the age of 62, Chuck Yeager (Retired USAF General and the man who broke the sound barrier, among other accomplishments) said:

“You do what you can for as long as you can, and when you finally can’t, you do the next best thing. You back up but you don’t give up…I know too many people who have erected barriers, real brick walls, just because they have gray hair, and prematurely cut off themselves from lifelong enjoyments by thinking, ‘I’m too old to do this or that-that’s for younger people.’ Living to a ripe old age is not an end in itself; the trick is to enjoy the years remaining. And unlike flying, learning how to take pleasure from living can’t be taught. Unfortunately, many people do not consider fun an important item on their daily agenda. For me, that was always high priority in whatever I was doing…
I’m definitely not a rocking-chair type. I can’t sit around, watch television, get fat, and fade out. And there’s so much more I want to do; I’ve never lost my curiosity about things that interest me…I haven’t yet done everything, but by the time I’m finished, I won’t have missed much. If I auger in tomorrow, it won’t be with a frown on my face. I’ve had a ball.”  - Chuck Yeager
Chuck Yeager is still kicking around at 86.

Another former Air Force flight surgeon, founder of the Cooper Institute and the man who coined the word "Aerobics", said:

"We do not stop exercising because we grow old. We grow old because we stop exercising."
 Keep practicing Tai Chi daily and continue to enjoy life.