Monday Musings: The Peaceful Aspects of Aging!

A couple of weeks ago, our son was visiting us from Seattle, for Mother's Day. He's now in his early 30s.

Because we are fairly avid gardeners and homesteaders, Mrs. Denmarkguy was showing him some of our homemade dandelion wine.

Whereas he was duly impressed, he also made the comment that we have "evidently gotten to that old age where we do a bunch of stuff at home, like making wine and beer."

We laughed about it a good bit about it, but after he was gone Mrs. Denmarkguy and I looked at each other and quietly contemplated the question of whether we're really getting old.

In truth, we're still several years from retirement age, but it is also true that we are feeling certain things that I can recognize as part of the aging process. And they don't actually have anything to do with making dandelion wine!

One of the ways I recognize the aging in myself — and this is particularly true since the Covid lockdown years — is that I have less and less interest in traveling and going to other places with other people to do stuff.

Part of that may be on account of the fact that we have a perfectly lovely home and we really like being around here and since we have everything we need right here we tend to stay at home... by choice. When I look back on my younger years I realize that much of my urge to get out and travel back then had to do with the fact that I wasn't all that happy with my surroundings and what was going on at home.

These days, it seems like we have built the life we really want and since we very much enjoy each other's company and what we're doing there seems to be relatively little reason to leave. That doesn't mean that I don't like traveling anymore, but I just don't need to go places simply for the sake of going places, anymore.

Perhaps part of the natural aging process is also the fact that we don't need as much "excitement" in our lives, anymore. It doesn't necessarily mean that we have become boring, perhaps more that we have perhaps grown content.

Of course, I have pretty much always been an introvert... at the best of times, so I never really sought out "excitement." But when I did it was more to conform to expectations, than because I really wanted it.

And I don't really think there's anything wrong with being content!

Thanks for reading, and have a great remainder of your week!

How about you? Are you past 40? Or 50? Do you feel your age manifesting itself in changed behaviors and interests? If so, how so? Do leave a comment if you feel so inclined — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

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Created at 2023.05.22 23:56 PST
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