**WARNING: this blog post totally ends in a Shakespeare quote **
This weekend, the Seymour Marine Discovery Center offered its volunteers a tidepooling excursion as part of an enrichment program. I was hesitant to go because I was fairly certain I wouldn't know anyone there; on the other hand, I really did want to spend my Sunday afternoon at the tidepools, beneath the clear sky and warm sun (I just barfed in my mouth a little). I find myself confronted by this dilemma pretty frequently these days: I want to do an activity, would rather not do it alone, but don't know who to do it with. I'm trying to rise above any fear of solitude and do what I want to do, accompanied or not. And that's just what I did on Sunday!
There were about ten on us and I would say 75% were 60+. That means one person was only half 60+, but I can promise you they were wearing a fanny pack. It was incredibly entertaining to discover the tidepools alongside hella old people. Even though I was interested in what we were looking at, I also found myself wandering off on the rocks, enjoying the sun, and thinking about life's pleasures and pains (you know, what-is-love-baby-don't-hurt-me kinda stuff). But these seniors, man, they were focused: shooting off marine biology facts like pistols, arguing over what type of crab we were looking at--they were unstoppable!
I wondered if I was a totally idiot for even considering thinking about myself. I looked at these wide-brim-hat-wearing seniors and wondered, is this what happens once you've lived a complete and fulfilling life? When all this abstract crap like love, success, self-actualization has long been accomplished? You, like, think about other stuff?
There was something so pure in their delight and curiosity. I can't help but think of life's cyclical nature, and how Shakespeare said that "last scene of all...is second childishness."
[Dahlia, it's Alice.] I really, really like this post.
ReplyDeleteI find myself in the same boat of not wanting to do things by myself/ not wanting to be held back because of that.
AND because I go Contra dancing whenever I can, I find a number of my Saturday nights are spent in a room where 85% of the attendees are over 50. I love knowing that while I'm doing that, most people I know/ people my age are out getting wasted.
And I like everything else you said about selflessness in older age :)
Thanks for writing and sharing! I love everything you've written so far.
Yay! Thanks for reading and sharing, Alice. :)
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