Fitness and Beyond

By TERESA HAMMOND

Some mornings I just don’t have it in me … the words, the thoughts, the column. at lead makes me chuckle, as o en times more than not I say to myself, “Self, who out there really cares about your two cents on this life that we’re living?” Without fail on occasion I will cross someone who shares the value they see in my random chosen topic for the given issue. O en times they are fellow mommies, women close to me in age or someone seeking a healthier lifestyle in the 209. Rarely are they younger than me and that’s no surprise. Just as my mom used to share with me, I’m now coming to learn; the young have it all gured out. at also makes me chuckle.

I sit here typing, no clue where this will lead, yet I can’t help but re ect and acknowledge that indeed my rst half of this life is now behind me. Some might say I have less than that, but I’d beg to di er.

is column space was founded on the notion of well … Fitness and Beyond (quite simply). So, as I re ect on the 2021 year and the physical and mental challenges faced, thank you cancer, I also recognize many of our readers were faced by their own. e COVID-19 pandemic brought a number of challenges to individuals, as well as society. Yet all this aside, I’ve still got my sights on a long prosperous life. Resiliency was something I’ve come to learn can get you through the toughest of times. Optimism doesn’t hurt either.

To live to a hundred was something I set my sights on just before having children. Late to the parenting game, I recognized my life path would need to be a bit di erent than most as I desired to do more than watch my children graduate from college or marry the love of their life.

I want to hold grand babies, see my children thrive in their chosen careers and live life as fully as they possibly can.

I also don’t want them to be in a hurry for any of these things as there is much life to live both pre-baby, as well as post.

Yes, I know it is very possible that they may not marry or opt not to have children. Just as I may not live to a hundred, but this is my dream so if you don’t mind (naysayers) I’m going to continue dreaming it for just a bit longer.

So many changes in this world, society and humanity since rst getting my feet wet as a journalist 20 years ago, I can’t help but wonder what life will look like in two more decades.

Heck, I don’t even need to sit at a desk any longer to do what I do. Now living very a la Carrie Bradshaw, early morning co ee with my Mac opened pounding the keyboard.

Isn’t life amazing.

I wonder if the younger generation sees that as much as us “older” people do. eir lives have been so di erent than the simple times when we grew up it’s almost impossible to compare. One thing however (I believe) regardless of change should remain the same. e simplicity of morals and respect are just as important today as ever.

I’ve thought about this a lot lately as I miss seeing doors opened for elders, offering help when you see another struggling with something or simply being courteous of others when driving.

Not to be misunderstood, this isn’t being penned as a pointed slam on our youth, a lot of this behavior I’m witnessing from their parents. Younger than I, yet old enough to know better there’s somehow been a sad shi of sel shness which has transpired over the past year and a half. It’s not a

“me too” movement, but rather a “me rst,” or “my way or the highway” if you will. Quite honestly it makes me sad. What I know for sure is our children emulate, even repeat the behaviors they see from their parents. Somehow as a society we’ve lost a great bit of respect for one another. We’ve seen it unfolding for several years now, worsened in my opinion by the isolation of

COVID-19. Keyboard warriors have now taken their on-line chat to a verbal stance and it’s not becoming. Case in point; traditional communication seems to have become rarer. There was once this thing called listening and replying, somehow, we’ve forgotten that. When we’re in live conversation with another it’s not appropriate to interject while they’re still speaking. It’s different than typing a comment on a social media post or replying to a text/e-mail as it’s sent.

Some prefer this way of communication and maybe that’s part of the problem, I’m honestly not sure.

What I do know for sure and simply landing the plane if you will, is that when I live to 100, I hope to be in a world of respecting elders, kindness and love, because the way things are headed, we’re in need of an earthshattering shi .

So, as we look to life in this month of love (aka February) and enter into early spring, I hope we all begin to take a little self-re ecting inventory. I still remain an optimist; I believe as humanity we are bigger than this moment, awareness, however, is key. ●

What I do know for sure… is that when I live to 100, I hope to be in a world of respecting elders, kindness and love, because the way things are headed, we’re in need of an earth-shattering shift.