Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional
More than the tumblr pages with photos of sunsets with words on them, a few people, some of whom were complete strangers, have taught me just how true this is. So, future me, if you ever look in the mirror and only see wrinkles and grey hair, remember these people:
The Ladies on the Bus
I was on the bus, on my way to a concert, when two elderly ladies got on. They were bent over, wearing plastic rain caps over their grey hair and definitely the type of people you´d give up your seat for, but the bus was nearly empty, so that wasn´t necessary. The youngest of the two made to sit on one of the red chairs in the front, the ones with extra leg space and little pregnant women and men with sticks embroidered on the fabric. Then the older lady gently took her arm and they shuffled towards the back of the bus. Softly she said: "Those seats are for old people, dear".
The Couple in the Clouds
I dug my heels in the sand at the end of the short practice zipline. It was a very slow, boring line, nothing like I hadn´t done before, but I was really excited about what was ahead. After the rest of my group had finished the practice course, we headed up to the parking lot where the little van was parked that would carry us past the olympian bobsled track and up into the mountains. From there we´d zip-zag (yeah, I just made that up) over the river that came thundering down into the valley, sending white foam up the steep sides of the ravine it had carved out in the rock.
A group of people in harnesses just like ours climbed out of a van that had just returned from the end of the course. They all looked tired and happy, but one couple caught my eye immediately. A man, he must have been in his eighties, helped his wife out of the vehicle. She, too, must have been about eighty, and they were both stooped and wrinkled in their harnesses. Their bodies may have been old, but one look at their faces told me all I needed to know about their minds. Inside, the handsome young man and the gorgous young woman they no doubt used to be, were still very much alive.
The birthday
A man turns 60. He wants to celebrate this with some of his closest friends and family. And that is where the parallel between a regular 60th birthday party and this man's end. No layered cake from the bakery, no flowers on the dinner table, and no "Your roses look amazing! What's the secret, coffee-grounds?". No. This particular 60 year old gathered his friends and took them on a 6 hour hike through this area in Iceland, to a small hut they'd camped in as boys when they were all in a scout troup together. What he didn't know, was that the man who had been his leader back in those days, had organised a surprise barbeque at the hut, and had arranged for all the not-so-able-bodied members of the f&f to be driven up and guided them over the narrow paths the last few kilometers. And this man wasn't a young Adonis in the prime of his life. This man was a stunning 90!
Magnificent
This man, called Magnus, is in his mid 90's now. I met him when I was in Iceland, and he was a true inspiration. His story is too incredible not to deserve it's own blog post, which will hopefully be written soon.
Remember: You're never too old.
