Worlds to Conquer

It is amazing how the right thing seems to come along at the right time.
This holiday I am reading a book called “No more Worlds to Conquer.”  It is about life after the achievement that defines.  For example the 10 people to walk on the moon – where are they now? They were only in their 30’s when they did their big thing.  Or Nadia Comaneci who was but a teenager when she was the first to ever get perfect scores in gymnastics at the Olympics.  What happened to her?
I relate to these stories big time, not because of any great achievement, but because I am in a new phase of my life.  I can really see why they called a university the “University of the 3rd Age.”  I see to the end of our school life as the first age, the end of our working life as the second age, and then retirement as our third age.  I am in that. 
What amazes me is how quickly it seems to come to us.  It only seems like yesterday, having just turned 30 I was talking to someone from NZ on a bus.  Now here I am 60 and on a disability pension.  I am thankful though, cause some folk don’t make it this far.
Not that I am old really.  I know heaps of folks in their 70’s and 80’s.  I am so impressed they “keep on keeping on.”  Sometimes they get “kicked in the guts” big time, but they seem to brush themselves off and keep going when they can.  Of course getting older means slowing down, but it does not mean stopping.  I heard of one fella who so loved what he was doing, he did it to the end of his days (that is 90 something)
Of course there is no guarantee of anything.  My experience is certainly a testament to that.  Some people don’t make it to “old” while others are “old before their time.”
I so don’t want to be seen as having outlived my usefulness.  It is not the opinion of the young I seek only.  Merril and I had two young people approach us from the other direction and one coughed out the words “old people.”  It was a joke and Merril and I laughed, but it seems in the eyes of some the young, we merely get in the way.
Much advertising these days seems to be directed at employing older people, as they are seen as reliable.  It seems though, a person cannot be so set in their ways they fail to embrace changes needed.
I seem to have many stories to tell, but they are all of achievements or experiences of yesteryear.  I feel I still have a contribution to make, but I need to find what I should be doing, and do it.  Sure I am keeping busy and have a number of interests, but what is my “big thing” now.  I have read about young men seeing visions and old men dreaming dreams.  I feel I have transitioned.  When I crossed over I can’t say, but something is definitely different.
Martin Luther is attributed as saying "If I knew that tomorrow was the end of the world, I would plant an apple tree today!"  To me, that means keep on going no matter what.  It is certainly what I am doing, and intend doing. but I definitely feel I need to find a big thing to do, rather than just keeping up my interests.
It will come to me I know, but in the mean time I will keep doing what I am doing, and giving it my best shot to enjoy it.