Recently a snowboarding friend of mine overheard a young man on the ski hill talking about the new equipment now available for this sport.

“Back in the day,” said the young man, “we didn’t have nearly as many types of boards to choose from.”

BACK IN THE DAY? thought my friend, who figured his age to be a little more than twice the age of the speaker.

When my friend related this story to me, I couldn’t help but laugh. Quite clearly I remember my students rolling their eyes and sighing each time I began a sentence with “When I was your age…”

All I know FOR SURE, is that I still feel much like I did at 18. The outside of my body may look different, but on the inside I have the same outlook on life, the same hopes and dreams, the same mental energy level as I did 35 years ago.

Only now I’m smarter, have more accomplishments under my belt, and have the time and a little money to pursue all those hopes and dreams that have been simmering on the back burner while I was oh-so-busy building my career.

Back in the day, we didn’t know how wonderful life would be in retirement, that much is true. But while some say that youth is wasted on the young, I’m making darn sure that not one moment of my middle age will be wasted at all.

Carpe diem! Now let’s go out and PLAY!