How old will you be

Good advice takes many forms from many sources. Everything from the terrifying, Your face will freeze that way! , to the prosaic, Eat your vegetables . Floss! certainly makes my Mom s top 100 list . The best advice I ever had, and thankfully followed, came from a man I never met. When I was a young, frightened mother-to-be, I worked a short time at a state office, someone s optimistic idea of giving my horrid typing skills some real-life experience. While they clucked sadly over my bumbling, my co-workers were kind, and freely shared tips and wisdom for both life and work. Although I have long since forgotten her name, one young woman was particularly friendly. She was my age, though well ahead of me in practical life. Growing up as the youngest of 10 children, she had learned early to work hard, and we laughed over her description of being the last one in the tub on Saturday night. The water had to last through all 10, so of course by the time she climbed in, it was chilled, and something less than pristine. She d learned to take very quick baths! Describing her father, it was obvious she adored and admired him. She smiled and explained. When he was 20, he wanted to be a lawyer, but times were tough for his family, so he went to work. When he was 30, he wanted to be a lawyer, but he was married and had young children, he couldn t possibly afford the time and money. When he was 40, he wanted to be a lawyer, but his family was large and some were entering college, he couldn t even consider college for himself. When he was 50, he wanted to be a lawyer. But, he thought he was too old, and with all his children either in college, or just starting jobs, he couldn t do it. She finished with, Now, he s 60, and he s in law school. When I asked him why he was doing it now, he said he had asked himself, How old will I be in 10 years if I don t? That bit of profound wisdom stuck with me. It led to my own college attendance when my son was just 13 months old. I graduated with honors from a Nursing program, and passed my state boards without difficulty. With each temptation to settle back and say, I m too old to do that , or I could never , rather than meet a challenge, I remember his words. When I m drawn to try something new, yet fear failure, I ask myself, And how old will I be if I don t? While some my age might sit back and take no risks, I have learned a new language, trained a service dog, volunteered, climbed a mountain, taught classes, and written a book. In spite of my son s tonguein-cheek offer to jump start my rocking chair, I want to live the whole time I m alive. I hope to honor the example of the man I never met by passing it on to others. When faced with a choice to do only what you ve always done, or try something you always wanted to do, ask yourself, How old will I be if I don t?