A Good Age to be

 Mr. Wolf was our gym teacher.  He was a retired Marine instructor who served during the Korean war. So he could be intimidating, particularly when we were in junior high. I recall him teaching us how to stand at attention. Thumbs along the seams of your shorts, heels together, feet pointed out at the right angles, eyes fixed straight ahead - do not move your eyes when he walked by...  Quite scary for a 13 year old.

But I learned to like him - he was my gym teacher all the way through high school, he was tough but fair and from time to time would share words of wisdom.  Some of this I even remembered (imagine that!), and even shared with some of the players I coached.

So one day at the beginning of the period he asked us what we thought was a good age to be. We gave some numbers and he began to give us his take on the subject. My memory is a bit fuzzy after 50 years or so, but here is what I recollect:

Everyone at your age wants to turn 16 and drive. And that is great at first getting your freedom and being able to drive around.  But after a few months that is going to get old.  And 18 - you graduate from high school so that is a milestone.  You get your first taste of being an adult.  21 you can drink, but like driving you will get used to that, but you are still searching, still trying to figure things out.

And you will do this during your 20's, you're working, trying to get a career going.  You are probably in a relationship and getting that stabilized.  But around the time that you are in your 30's and into your 40's you begin to figure things out. You know where you've been, you know where you are going and you begin to develop your own philosophy of life.  You should be deep in your career and your relationships have stabilized.

When you get into your 50's and 60's you are still mentally sharp, but now your body begins to let you down. You don't heal as fast and that health you had as a young person is starting to fade.  Your family will be important to you, and you will have strong relationships.  Then as you age past your 70's, you get to a certain point as you age, you will change mentally and that will also fade.

So what is a good age? The sweet spot is in your 30's and 40's - you have things figured out, you have a philosophy on life and you still have your health.  The reason I tell you this now is that you are young teenagers, you are anxious and are searching.  I wanted to let you know that things will make sense as you get older. As you age, remember this little talk and see if it isn't true.