Faster, Tougher, Stronger. And Older.

Life in the Boomer Lane has been spending a lot of time lately, trying to avoid listening to the Forces of Evil that keep knocking at her door. Climate Change appears to be the most insistant, followed by Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, Hatred Against Other Races/Religions/Nationalities/Sexual Orintations/Political Parties, and the IRS (Readers Note: This last item is due solely to LBL’s own personal ongoing altercation with the IRS and not to a general displeasure that she, like countless other Normal Folks are carrying the main burdon of taxes so that Rich Folks can scoff at our stupidity.)

LBL has locked her door, shut the blinds, and stuck her fingers in her ears and yelled “La La la La” as loudly as she could. Nothing appears to be working.

All of these Forces of Evil have prevented her from writing a perky, uplifting post. She has now acknowledged defeat. Instead of uplifting Loyal Readers, she will simply add to the onslaught of Things That Make You Feel Really Bad.

To schieve that end, she will now detail all of the spectacular physical activities that people other than you are engaging in. These folks, unlike many of you, know how to get down on the floor and get up again, without having something to hold on to. They can go up and down stairs quickly. They can retrieve things that have rolled under furniture. They can spring out of bed in the morning and out of chairs at the end of a meal. They can run, jump, pedal, lift, pull, push, throw, and breathe. They can probably also get through the day without forgetting where everything is, but this is simply an assumption on LBL’s part. The following, on the other hand, is verifiable:

The Gray Wolves is a senior hockey team that skates out of the YMCA in Skaneateles, New York that ranges in age from senior to 95-year-old Marsh Webster. While Marsh is still a force on ice, he admits to looking fondly back to his glory days at age 80.

Skateboarding legend Mark Lake, 61, began his pro career at 19. He continues to be a champion skateboarder and his parents continue to wonder when he will finally give up skateboarding, get a decent job and become a responsible person.

Jersey Jo, aka 91-year-old Josephine Monteleone, is a billiards champion. By age 100, she expects to have completely conquored the billiards world.

80-year-old Arturo Melean has been a hang-liding instructor in California for the past 25 years. He’s been preparing himself for that Ultimate Flight, but life keeps bringing him back to earth.

Bill Otto, 86, has been a competitive cycler since he retired 26 years ago. He continues to break records and to accumulate countless medals. He also continues to wear out a lot of bicycles.

Ida Keeling, 104-year-old sprinter, was 67 when she started running. She had lost both sons to drug-related violence. The depression that ensued resulted in her running, and she hasn’t stopped since. the only thing that changed was that eventually, she stopped running away from her grief and started, instead, to run toward the finish line.

There are many, many others, way too numerous to list. Aging, like everything else in life, continues to change. If you, personally, would like to join the ranks of these folks, the good news is that, even if you are 70, you still have over 30 years to hone your skills.