Never Too Old

 

My 7^th grade science teacher posted a word of thanks on Facebook this week. Some friends of hers drove the boat so she could water ski.

            Did I mention she’s 80?

            Granted, she didn’t just take up skiing this year. This has been part of her life, maybe for all of her life! But I’m so impressed that she can still accomplish it at 80, and that’s not all she’s doing with life. She volunteers regularly with Habitat for Humanity and is quite the encourager to those in her community who are working hard to make dreams come true.

            I may not have been her best science student (by a long shot) but I am learning a lot from her about life at this stage by watching her live fully at an age where many would sit down and pick up a remote.

            She’s learning to ski, I’m learning to garden, and Ryan’s learning to paddleboard. I’m reminded that we’re never too old to be purposeful about trying new things – and who knows? Maybe we might find something new to us that is a gift we never knew we had!

            Did you know Lucille Ball was 40 when she started filming I Love Lucy? You’ve probably never heard of Joseph Campbell, but your mind may make a connection when I tell you he started a canned foods company at age 52. And the soup that made that name famous arrived on the scene when joseph was 78. Another 78  year old took up painting, and we know her as “Grandma Moses.” A few years ago, one of her paintings sold for over a million dollars. Colonel Sanders was 62 when he franchised Kentucky Fried Chicken.

            You get the idea.

            Learning a bit about gardening this year and watching plants grow in the dirt outside the house has pushed me to make a list of things I want potentially explore over the next decade. I might not get to all of them. I might try some for a  moment and discover I am really not talented in that direction after all. But what if one or two end up being gems of joy?

            Here’s my list. I’ve mentioned a few of them in blog posts of days gone by, but this is my actual list of things I hope to explore in the next decade. Of course, to make it nice and even, I chose ten things. They are, however, in no particular order.

1. Pie Making. Ryan loves pie. It’s his favorite dessert. And I’m a terrible pie maker. It’s unfortunate, because my mom has always been known for her pie making skills, and she really does a fabulous job. How did the daughter of a prolific pie maker end up such a failure at it? I’ve tried a handful of times over the years to figure out what I’m doing wrong, but I’ve never found the magic touch with this one. I really would love to achieve pie making perfection.

2. Crocheting. I have tried to learn this – just once – but it was right as we were leaving WillowBridge, and I didn’t end up having enough time to sit with my teacher. She also wasn’t entirely sure how to transfer her knowledge to me, which made it extra challenging. I don’t need to be crazy super skilled, but I think knowing how to make a blanket, scarf, or hat would be fun.

3. Playing the harp. This one may not happen because I’d have to buy/rent/borrow a harp, and I’m not sure that’s likely or even feasible around here. But I’ve watched some tutorials on learning to play and think it would be such a remarkable skill to know – even at a basic level. I have 11 years of piano lessons under my belt, so I know some musical basics. I just never found the instrument that won my heart. Maybe the harp is that instrument!

4. Ice Cream Making. Years ago, during one of our birthday trips, Ryan and I had fun dreaming up what it would be like to own an ice cream shop. Flavors and mix-ins and homemade waffle cones sounded like a great livelihood to us. While a store of our own is highly unlikely, we could learn to make our own homemade ice cream – flavors and mix-ins and all! I have a recipe a friend shared with me after I ate homemade ice cream at her house and LOVED how it tasted (and the texture, too). We don’t own an ice cream freezer – but maybe one of these days! I don’t think it’s a bad idea to have a house list of “famous” ice cream flavors.

5. Watercolor painting. It feels like an appropriate hobby when you live on the water. I’m not an artist, but maybe watercolor would be forgiving enough? One of the ladies I follow on Instagram, who really does have incredible artistic skill, says she buys all her supplies at Walmart. She says it’s an easy hobby because you don’t have to spend a fortune. You just have to have the heart for it.

6. Becoming my own barista. We own a little latte maker, but we have never fully explored the world of pretending we own a coffee shop. (which was, after all, another dream of ours.) I think I could learn to do this at home if I put my mind to it. I have recipes and instructions saved. I just need to put them to use.

7. Gardening. Ahhh, the one that started the list happening in earnest. I am pleased with how my efforts are going so far this year, but I know there is much to learn and refine in my skills. I’d like to keep growing with it! It is a joy to see things growing out there, and I’ve even been able to harvest some herbs, which has been fun. I’ll never be able to have a big garden, because I have space limitations, and I’m okay with that! But it’s fun to think about having a pretty little garden each year.

8. Breadmaking. I am saving up for some supplies to learn this one – so stay tuned for it. I’m excited to see if I can do it! Working with yeast terrifies me. I’m always afraid I’m going to kill it. But I’ve been doing a lot of reading and studying, so I hope that when it actually gets to happen, it’s a success!

9. Sign Language. I took classes in high school and still dabble in it occasionally. It’s the language that fascinates me most, and learning it more fluently would be a gift. Mostly I want to be able to sign songs for when I’m listening to music at home.

10. Candy making. Another of my mom’s skills that has (so far) eluded me. She has shared her recipes and we even have our own slab of marble – gifted from a friend who gave up candy-making. It would be great to be able to carry on my mom’s Christmas candy tradition and to make ours look as great as hers always do!

 

            I’m determined not to be too old to learn new tricks. How about you?