Dear Gen-Xers:

Dear Gen-Xers: You are my target audience because we have something important in common.

I would love for everyone to read and enjoy this blog, but, over the past few years, my personal goals and reasons for having this blog have been tweaked. My goals and reasons have not changed completely. They have just morphed and shifted a bit as life has progressed.

Undoubtedly I want readers, but the primary reason I am doing the activities I write about is to help myself. By writing and sharing my “adventures” and experiences, I can hopefully help my fellow Gen-Xers along the way as well while giving much deserved credit to those who have helped me, taught me, spent time with me, and become new friends with me (the best part).

We are getting older. (I used to say, “I don’t get older. I just get better and use more hair coloring.” Once the pandemic started, the hair coloring part went out the window, and I am embracing my silver locks! The photo tells all!) The number for our age will continue to go up (which is so much better than the alternative). How my body feels and what I can do have changed over time. I won’t deny this, but I won’t necessarily give in to it. More friends and colleagues are suffering from more medical issues. We are watching our parents’ health and abilities deteriorate both physically and mentally. Well, I intend to grow old but plan to be one of those old people fully living life and keeping up with all of the young’uns! The reality is that this won’t happen “just because.” It is up to me to try to make it happen.

What does this mean for me practically? What should this mean to us? It is up to us to take control of our health—physical, mental, emotional, etc—to the best of our abilities. Sometimes it takes watching or feeling things get worse to inspire us to take more action. There are some things over which we have no control, but this should not mean that we should ignore the things over which we do have control!

One of the “umbrella” ideas is that I want to challenge myself and keep trying new things. Brain stimulating activities will not only make life more interesting today but will also help keep my brain functioning more effectively over the years. Certainly, there can be frustration along the way, but I need to remind myself that we grow most during the hard parts. I look for projects that are stimulating and interesting. I try to be a bit realistic as well. For example, I would love to learn another language, but the truth is, without a specific reason or opportunity to use it, I don’t see myself having enough inspiration to get very far. On the other hand, I have been continuing to practice Spanish so that I can continue to improve my Spanish speaking and comprehension skills. These skills I do use at times.

Over the past few years, I have “stepped out of my box” and challenged my brain differently by participating in Great Decisions. As stated on the Great Decisions website, “Great Decisions is America’ largest discussion program on world affairs.” I am no expert, but I have certainly learned A LOT through this program. If you get a chance to check it out, I highly recommend it.

My previous post discussed my summer community theater “adventure.” I needed to remind myself (and assume that if/when I participate next summer that I will again remind myself) that the frustration I felt with learning music, remembering choreography, and learning lines will only strengthen my brain once I get out of my own way. Music, movement, and recall all challenge and strengthen different parts of the brain as well—participating in musical theater was a complete mental work-out! It also helped me to create more interpersonal connections. Our relationships with others impacts our health.

Pinterest is a mixed blessing. It can suck hours out of your life, but it can also be a great resource. I have given myself a goal to try at least 4 new recipes a month. This serves several great purposes. First, I can find healthy recipes to help keep my body strong and provide nutrients differently than I have with previous recipes. I challenge my brain simply by following instructions, no matter how simple (one of my “new recipe” criteria is (usually) “simplicity”—I want to make sure that I will actually prepare the item); novelty is great for the brain. Serving new items makes me feel like I can bring my family together a bit differently. We can experience something new together at the table.

Most of us (sadly) don’t have endless supplies of time or money. Although I would love to experience international travel, luxurious highfalutin adventures, and the like, smaller, local experiences count and are truly meaningful and valuable. This may involve attending a lecture at a library or trying a new craft project (I have been able to learn and try a wide variety of crafting skills through various library programs over the past year).

Make last minute plans. Not everyone has a completely full schedule all of the time. Build/rebuild those social connections. This may be as simple as making plans for a morning coffee date. (I had one of these with four friends literally the day before I typed this. We made plans on Friday and met the following morning.) Value relationships; don’t take them for granted.

Several years ago I was invited to join a book club. Although this was not something of interest to me in years past, joining turned out to be one my favorite decisions over the past few years! I met some great people, read books (sometimes) I would not have otherwise checked out, and connected and socialized with some wonderful old and new friends. If you are not part of a book club, think about joining one. Seriously! Unlike school, if you don’t read or finish a book, that is perfectly fine! As mentioned, I know that I have read some fantastic books I never would have previously checked out. Admittedly, there have been times where I have checked out the book club book and let it sit on my desk without ever opening it prior to the book club meeting. (I had good intentions but just never started.) I do have a goal to actually read the next book we choose! Why do I recommend a book club? Reading and discussion (we actually DO spend part of our book club get-togethers actually talking about the book) provide multiple benefits such as brain stimulation, exposing us to new ideas and perspectives, strengthening vocabulary and knowledge base (this has occurred for me with both non-fiction and fiction), stress reduction and relaxation, improvement with focus and concentration, and more. Plus, we get the social connections which are so important as well.

Move your body! To state the obvious, physical activity benefits both our bodies and minds. Find something you like, and do it! Although we may be more prone to some injuries with age, we are also more prone to injuries if we do not keep physically active. As people live longer lives, we want our bones and muscles to keep up! Also, stretch and improve your flexibility. Amongst other benefits, we will be less likely to injure ourselves. We should take full advantage of that, especially as we get older. Personally, my main physical activity tends to be walking, usually by myself or with my dog. I do need to find options, though, for when the weather is simply too cold or too crappy or for when it is simply too dark outside. I am open to suggestions! If you are local (relative to me) and have a fun activity but want company, I’m here for you! I love being able to get exercise (even under the guise of just having fun) with other people—it’s a twofer: physical activity plus social time!

Overall, my goals are to do what I can to take care of myself now, in multiple aspects of my life, and keep myself well in order to be able to enjoy the years ahead. I am all about prevention–I don’t have time nor want to have to spend the energy to deal with issues when older! I prefer to just stay healthy and avoid them. I truly hope that my experiences will inspire and encourage you to also take care of yourself for now and the future. There are a lot of things beyond our control. Let’s take control of the rest! Please feel free to reach out! We can all help each other become the best versions of ourselves.

Sincerely,

Beckie