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I have always been physically active— running, bike riding, skiing, horseback riding and working out with weights. But I must admit I have slowed down a bit and have become more cautious. I walk three miles rather than run, I lift lighter weights, and I do not ride with all abandon. It seems the earth below has gotten much harder when you fall. Luckily my horse is getting older also. Being physically active, whether it's walking or gardening or doing chores around the house, helps the body stay limber. If you have ever had a broken limb and been casted you may recall that a child has no physical therapy in order to remember how to use that limb while as we get older, the muscles atrophy faster, so it's use it or lose it. So in order not to lose it I decided to go skiing with some friends in February. On my last run—isn’t always the last run of the day—I took a nasty spill. The fall landed my body in the position of a frog, with both knees bent outwards, and skis not releasing. I did feel substantial pain, but was able to get up and ski back down the mountain. The next day I decided to call my orthopedist. He and I are on a first name basis since I am already supporting his children through college with all my injuries. The end result was a sprained and dislocated knee. He gave me a prescription for physical therapy, and he knew better than to restrict my mobility. I was recounting this story to my friend and she commented, “isn’t it tough to give up the sports you love because you’re getting older”. WHAT?????? At what point of getting older am I to stop doing things that I love. As long as I can lift a ski boot and poles and can put them on, I plan on continuing skiing. I also belong to a horseback riding club, we go on these excursions that are called hunter paces. The objective is to ride a course of about 10-12 miles at a comfortable pace and try to come in as close to the ideal time that a designated rider has ridden it. The folks I ride with call themselves the Over the Hill Gang. No one is under 40. But if you think about it, a saddle and the back of a horse are like a big comfortable couch that walks around. Yes, there are fences that one can jump, but my horse and I have gotten older and we now decide to go around them. The whole objective of the Over the Hill Gang is to get out and enjoy the scenery and the camaraderie. They even have a place for the last one to come in; the place I do not want to be in is the ambulance for going above my ability. Remember, I am old. Also with age comes wisdom, I recently heard this story. A young woman comes to her mother and is distraught. It seems that her young life is falling apart and she is only in her 20s. Her love life is almost nonexistent, her work is mundane, and she has neglected her health. The mother listens and walks over to the stove, filling three pots of water. In one she places some eggs, in another she places some carrots, and in the third she places coffee beans. She lets them boil away for a few minutes and then put the carrots on one plate, the eggs on another and the coffee in another. The mother looks at her daughter and asks her, "Now which one are you?" The daughter looks bewildered and says she does not understand. The mother with all her wise years and her maturity says, touch each one. The daughter lifts a carrot, touches it then goes on to the egg and peels it. She then smells the coffee and gratefully sips some but still does not understand. She looks at her mother for an explanation. Her mother says that the carrot, the egg and the coffee bean each started against the same adversity—boiling water. But each one reacted differently. The carrot started strong and hard, but when in hot water for a while, it wilted and became soft. The egg had a hard shell to start with and a liquid interior. Faced with hot water, the shell was still hard, and when peeled away, the liquid inside had hardened also. And then there was the coffee bean. It changed the color of the boiling water and withstood the heat and became a pleasant tasting liquid. So what is the moral of the story. When faced with adversity, and I would say some people look at getting older as an adversity, will you be a carrot and wilt because someone said at a certain age you can’t do certain things you love? Or will you be an egg and harden because you may not be able to do all the things you once loved doing? Or will you be a coffee bean and flavor the life around you? It's your choice and the choice you make can keep you Forever Young. * * * Luba Siryj graduated with a B.A. from New Jersey State University and earned an MBA in Data Communication from Farleigh Dickinson University. She currently works for IBM as an Information Technology Architect. Ms. Suryj has been a member of the UNWLA for more than twenty years and is currently president of Branch 4. She has chaired the Ukrainian Festivals at the Garden State Arts Center, the Women in Two Worlds Conference, and the 1993 UNWLA Convention held at the Newark Marriott. The article published here is condensed from a speech presented by Ms. Siryj at the World of the 21st Century Woman Conference held at Soyuzivka April 4-6, 2003. 16 “Н А Ш Е Ж И Т Т Я ”, Л И П Е Н Ь -С Е Р П Е Н Ь 2003 Видання C оюзу Українок A мерики - перевидано в електронному форматі в 2012 році . A рхів C У A - Ню Йорк , Н . Й . C Ш A.
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