I’ve been writing of inclines - climbs up mountains - and the difficulty of breathing at high altitude. Today I’ll write about the other side of the incline, the decline. I hiked a short solo hike to a lake at 10,000 feet. I wanted to find my rhythm, a pace enjoyable to me. On the uphill I stopped frequently, identified plants, listened and recorded birdsong, and took time to look at what was around me. Being with nature is what I love. No human chatter broke the forest sounds. But I missed the pleasure of sustained effort that comes with an uphill climb. The stop-and-go pace let my lungs breathe easier, let my heart keep its rhythm. My sturdy legs were no longer the driving force on the uphill. My legs are strong, but the engine is sputtering when I ask it to rev higher. To use my legs to their full potential, to experience that swing that gives you the feeling you can keep swinging them forever, I need to be at lower altitude, on easier terrain.
As we age, every activity has its tradeoff. I can stack wood, but if I do more than half a cord, my back complains. Doing two or three activities in a day requires longer rest. I switch between physical and mental activities to stay productive throughout the day. To be energetic all day, not run out of steam by mid-afternoon, I have to balance my efforts.
Days are like life. Days have their seasons: a slow awakening at dawn, high energy in the morning, declining energy in the afternoon and rest in the evening. It’s summer, but I am in the fall of my life. How do I work with the discrepancy between the natural season of my day and my life season? Summer calls for early rising and sustained activity. I want to respond, but can I?
In the debate Biden showed his decline. His performance is inconsistent. Despite his ambition to conquer the mountain of re-election, his body and mind are inadequate. Oh, I’m sure he has his high-performance moments, but he misses consistency. I can climb a mountain like I did 5 years ago, but I can’t sustain it. A year ago, I still tackled climbs with my usual persistence and strength. Now, a year later, I must really think about how I will get there. Next year? My mental acuity is on the decline as well. I can still write a decent post, but I have to stop and search for words more often.
So what is Biden to do? What are we to do as our decline becomes obvious? Fighting aging is futile. You must make space for it in your life. Take smaller bites, reduce and spread out your high-intensity activities. Not exactly a formula for campaigning.
My younger backpacking friends didn’t invite me on a recent overnight. I would have declined, a one-nighter to 12,000 feet isn’t my idea of fun any longer. It’s revealing to learn that others view you as lacking stamina or being slow. When you’ve been in the driver’s seat of life, it’s hard to let others do the driving.
At a certain point, decline accelerates. As stamina wanes, the urge to let go intensifies, similar to descending a mountain. To age gracefully, you need to change your circumstances, i.e. find lower mountains to climb. Mountains you can still enjoy. Mountains that don’t make you a liability.
Biden needs to take a hard look at his performance and give himself a break. Better to end a term on a positive note than fail in another term. I’m sure he has his reasons to campaign for re-election, but is that in the best interest of the country, or as he says, in the best interest of saving democracy? I won’t mention the other candidate. He can summon energy for debate, but it is dedicated to lies and hyperbole. Not a good formula for a successful term in office.
Trust is a rare commodity, especially in the western world. Self reliance, problem solving, astuteness, critical thinking are lauded qualities. We’re rarely quoted for having trust that things will work out for the best. In this stage of my life, namely my decline, I’ve discovered that things naturally resolve. I cannot control outcomes. Now I wonder, should I finish stacking wood today after a break? If I want to move my body, maybe trimming flowers is a better task. Take the plunge, Joe. Make space and someone will emerge. You’ll discover what the decline is all about. It’s a season in and of itself.
Good one Dami! Yes navigating aging is an interesting part of this journey that nothing really prepares you for. Like birthing a child! We can read all about these things but then there is living it, and finding our own way. Bringing in some gentleness seems a lovely gesture for me. Letting it be ok to just "be" part of each day and not always doing. After all, we are Human Be-ings :)
And right on about Joe! Let it go Joe. Let it go!
I hear what you are saying and I don't have all the answers, but I think we need to take into account that the next President will probably be making appointments to the Supreme Court and it's already lopsided.
As far as our personal abilities--I find it very difficult to figure out when to push and when to rest. And in particular, when planning a long-distance hike, it's very hard to determine it it will be doable.