Something my great Grandma always used to tell my mum was 'never get old'. It always seemed stupid, even to the childhood me - everyone gets old eventually, it's a fact of life. It's only as I've begun to feel myself growing older (that extra 'snooze' I find myself needing in the morning, the feeling that a month has passed me by in 4 seconds, or the inevitable write-off of a day and brain-splitting hangover that follows every. single. night. out...) that I've realised how significant my great Grandma's words were. Now that I feel time slipping past me more and more, I want to hang on to it, catch it between my fingers and replay it over and over again...
Whilst I know that's truly impossible (I never grasped physics quite well enough to build a time machine), I've found other ways of following my great Grandma's sage advice. I'm definitely getting older, but that doesn't mean I have to act like it. After all, age is just a number right?
My most recent endeavour to reclaim a bit of my youth has been through joining an adults gymnastics class. When I think about my childhood, the one dominating feature, and the thing that probably brought me the most happiness growing up, was my love of gymnastics. A number of health issues in my teens meant I had to give up training, but after an 8 year hiatus, staring gymnastics again in my twenties has made me feel like a kid all over again. It feels freeing to jump and tumble and dance without limits or rules, and the sense of satisfaction I get from feeling this freedom to express myself has me leaving with a smile on my face every time. Here's a little preview of what I've been up to...
(if the video doesn't work, take a look at the link below...)
https://instagram.com/p/zifZNOzFah/?modal=true
Don't get me wrong, there's lots of good things about growing up - too many things to talk about right now, but finding my independence and being able to shape my own future are a couple of things that spring to mind. Finding someone to share that future with is also pretty high up on the list too...
Even so, I still promised my parents last week that I won't get old, and that's my intention. Even if physically that's not a reality, I can and will remain young at heart. Anyway, don't they say, you're only as old as the person you feel? In which case I've just bought myself 3 months! #winner.
Lovely blog Hannah as always. I must admit since Nanny went in to the nursing home it does worry me about what lies ahead. Even though she is looked after very well and seems happy in her own world, it is no life. So if there is anything that can be done to slow down the ageing process we should grab it. Keep your mind working, body supple and cross your fingers (while you still can :)).
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