At age 60, the show will, indeed, go on

Yesterday, I turned 60 years old.

Wait. What??

I’ve always thought that, in our minds, we really don’t age much beyond our late teens/early 20s. Oh, sure, the memory starts to weaken … What was I writing about again? Oh, right. Our mind not aging much.

I still laugh at a lot at the dumb shit I laughed at when I was 20. When I play sports, my mind still tells my body that it can move with cat-like speed, at which my body tells my mind to go F___ itself.

It was depressing to be playing goal in my final year of floor hockey and have my leg not kick out for what used to be a save, or to boot ground balls in slo-pitch that I used to pick up with ease. It was hard to walk away, to know that I had lost it.

I still occasionally play slo-pitch albeit at a slower pace (I’m not pulling anymore hammies!), and I accept my declined ability although it is still disappointing when I make a bad play or have a terrible at-bat. Every now and then, I will make a great play and get a cheer from my mates and opponents, which makes me smile and reminds me that some of it is still there, inside me, but only enough to make guest appearances.

Even though the sports skills have declined, I keep myself in decent shape and am currently working on getting back to my fighting weight as it can be a slippery slope. I’m trying to eat better, knowing that physical health boosts not only life, but mental health and I have a lot of creative projects that I want to get done before my next life decade begins. In fact, I have an exciting project in the queue, that will involve telling North Coast Indigenous stories, that I will be announcing soon!

I plan to write as long as I live, but I want to make serious hay in my 60s because I know that the chance of significant decline grows with each decade that passes thereafter. Feeling strong and vital now, I want to work on more books, on a screenplay and, yes, even direct a movie, in the next few years. Is this all possible? It’s going to take some luck, I know that, but I have always believed we make our own luck by working hard and being ready for positive possibilities.

It's not all just hard work and taking advantage of opportunities, though. The community of Prince Rupert, my many creative and performing arts associates, good friends and, of course, my partner and loving family, have all been integral with their amazing support.

I often think of that line from the movie, The Waterboy, where Rob Schneiber shouts “You can do it!” Whenever a project idea comes up that excites me but I’m not sure I should take it on, I hear that line from others, and then I say it to myself.

You can do it. You can do it.

YOU CAN DO IT!

Yes, I can. And it starts now. Always.