Now or Never

Being 51 years old can be seen in different ways, some positive and some negative. One positive way is that I have amassed enough personal memories and experiences during my lifetime so far to arrive at some conclusions regarding “how things are”. And one of the conclusions I have reached is that opportunities tend to run in cycles. What I mean by this is that if I screw up in some area of my life, I need to realize that at some future point I will again get the chance to realize my goals and not to get overwrought with feelings of failure.

As a young person, I often felt that I was in “now or never” situations, especially regarding my academic and career goals. And while it’s true that, at this stage in my life, I am not likely to be entering medical school to train as a physician, it’s also true that, within the academic spectrum, the vast majority of fields are still wide open for me to pursue! And, of course, there are age restrictions imposed on those seeking certain careers, such as, for example, the military. But the range of opportunities is so vast that a small number of closed doors pales in comparison. In athletics, I believed in my youth that I had better make my mark then because older people were naturally less athletic and couldn’t compete in sports. But as I have grown older, I have discovered a greater, purer joy in participating in athletics that I didn’t properly appreciate in bygone years. And since many sports have age levels built into their structures, I can usually participate in an age-appropriate level. For example, I am looking forward sometime this year to running a local 5 Kilometer road race. The best finishing times will, no doubt, go to those who are much younger than me. But I’ll also be competing with other runners in my age group! It’s also been said that for one to learn to speak a foreign language or to learn how to play a musical instrument, it is necessary to take advantage of a window of opportunity that exists in early childhood. But I’m in my fifties, and I derive great pleasure in studying both piano and several foreign languages.

As long as people are breathing and can think for themselves in this life, they need to adopt the notion that they have choices and opportunities. The notion permeating our youth of “now or never” is a pernicious lie that has caused untold needless suffering. In truth, there is plenty, plenty of time in life to accomplish and experience all kinds of rewarding and interesting things!