Something Weird Happened on the Way to 62…

“Do you feel more cool at this point in your life or when you were younger?”

My friend takes a bite of her ice cream, twirling the cone to lick off the dripping butter pecan. “Do I think I’m more cool now?” she says, crinkling her brows. “No. Is that the wrong answer?” She takes another bite and adds, “I’m guessing you feel differently?”

Still trying to figure out golf at age 62

At age 62, I have never felt more aware, more open to learning, and more comfortable than I do now. But in great Shakespearean fashion, the timing of my great awakening could not be more off. How else can I explain finally feeling comfortable in my skin when, at the same time gazing into the mirror and pulling my loose skin on my face back toward my ears, envisioning how my face used to look. It’s a conundrum. While my body is beginning to deliver hints that it does indeed have an expiration date, my mind is telling me I’m just getting started.

It’s cruel but fitting irony, finally figuring out our place on earth moments before death. A little dramatic, perhaps, but if you’re on the downhill side of 50, you get it. Post 60 is when we start thinking about last events—downsizing homes, bucket-list vacations and Second Chapter Jobs.   

At age 62, my friend and I are both enjoying our time at our Second Chapter Jobs. Jobs that don’t require fancy degrees or excessive training, but rather a skill set that can’t be learned in a college course and only comes with the luxury of experiencing 60+ years on earth… People-skills. As I work alongside teenagers and retirees, I appreciate my interactions with every guest, and I genuinely enjoy teaching (and learning) from young people who are just getting their traction in the business world.   

62. Is it young? Old? Depends on whether you’re asking an 18-year-old or 80-year-old. If you were ever accused of being an Old Soul in your younger days, congratulations! Old Souls are simply people who have the advantage of possessing a mind that is two steps ahead of the general population in their age group. I’m a former Old Soul who is now celebrating being in the moment. I know who I am, and I’m good with it.

So, do you feel cooler today than you were in your younger days? Maybe you were the lucky kid who other children gravitated to and you never stood alone at recess. Perhaps you were never picked last in gym class, and you not only went to your Junior Prom, but you also served on the decorating committee. You were confident and peaked early. Cue the applause.

For my sisters out there who hit their stride a little later in life or are just now beginning to figure it all out, I stand with you. We all travel down our own paths, and no route is less correct, but looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing. I am comfortable now—in my hair, clothes, interests, adventures, beliefs and loves.

So, looking back at my friend at the ice cream counter, I take a bite of my chocolate ice cream (I’ve always taken bites. I don’t understand those who lick ice cream.) and I answer her question with a smile. Do I feel cooler today than I did in my younger days?

“Absolutely.”