Yesterday I ran into a guy the same age as my father. He used to do tai chi and he began practicing aboutthe same time I did. I asked him about his practice. He waved his hand. “I gave that up 10, maybe twelve years ago,” he said, and the act of waving his hand made him wobble. “I wish I hadn’t. I could have used it now.” He began listing his health problems. I nodded politely but somewhere around the fifth or sixth complaint I stopped listening.
Today I did my tai chi with extra vigor. And then I got dressed and now I’m waiting for graduation day to begin.
We grow older. There’s nothing that can be done about that. We’re going to lose capacity as we get older. But that sacred triangle of endurance, flexibility and strength remains a constant. That minimum standard of exercise keeps us healthy in the long run.
…
I hope.
