That Shuckstack experience is probably a pretty good metaphor for a life's journey. The trip up was hard, and we were too concentrated on succeeding to enjoy our surroundings very much. The very brief stop at the summit was exhilarating, but we were still too stunned by the struggle to celebrate our accomplishment. But the trip down was full of fun and mutual congratulations, with opportunities to appreciate the surroundings and each other. Coming away from the summit I did sport a pair of huge, painful blisters, and at one point took a tumble, and slid down a granite slope for about 30 feet, giving myself a week's worth of minor aches and pains. But such small discomforts were unimportant compared to the triumph of completing the hike successfully.
It doesn't do to make too close and glib a comparison, of course. For many of us, the chronological downslope isn't nearly as trouble-free as that hike back down the mountain. Bruises and blisters gained along the trail are nothing compared to the indignities and ailments that come with age (and sometimes the poverty that accompanies it).
Nonetheless, life's downslope shouldn't be undersold. It can be a time of great rewards and possibilities. It takes a bit of determination and imagination to navigate it with style and humor, but it can be a pretty good ride.
Of course, there are some negatives, but then, there are negatives at any stage of life. If being over the hill means having to wear bifocals and comfortable shoes, it helps to recall that being young often meant that (in an effort to look adult) you wore spike heels that hurt your feet.
Being over the hill should mean that we've come to some kind of self-knowledge and peace with the things that have — or have not — happened in our lives. It should mean that life's lessons have begun to sink in, and that we may even have some wisdom to pass on to others. If we're lucky, we have surrounded ourselves with family or friends or both.
There is much to recommend life on the downslope. We can celebrate the things we used to hate doing and no longer have to do. It's true, for instance, that I miss my students and my fellow teachers now that I'm retired, but I do not miss having to set my alarm clock. I do not miss having to be dressed, brushed, and out of the house by 7:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, no matter what the weather. I do not miss conducting parent conferences or back-to-school nights. I do not miss having to scrape my windshield on an icy morning. And I most certainly don't miss feeling continually exhausted as I worked to fit my career as a wife, mother, daughter and grandmother around the edges of my career as a teacher.
I find that it helps to laugh, here on the downslope. Friends have become more important than ever. When we share stories of life's latest annoyances and indignities, even the problems of old age can seem funny. There is great strength in realizing that we are aren't alone on this downslope, and that the ride will be interesting, all the way to the foot of the mountain. But I can't help thinking that it will be nice if there's a cool stream and a victory feast waiting for us at the bottom.
© Julia Sneden for SeniorWomen.com
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