I AM EIGHTY YEARS  OLD

It's been almost three months since I reached the almost unbelievable but perhaps respectable age of eighty.
I say incredible because, in the light of the deaths I hear around me, they're all in the seventies. I also said respectable, because this word must bring with it a small token of respect from the younger generation... at least, that's what I think.

This morning, the question I asked myself was: Now that I'm eighty, will I make it to ninety? That same morning, I discovered Kirkegard's words: "Life must be lived forwards, but can only be understood backwards." And, of course, this gave me the idea of dealing with the subject in the little.  After all, it doesn't take much to write. I like it so much, it's almost natural.

I don't write because I have the power to write, I write because I don't have the power to keep quiet. I confess I borrowed this expression from Rav Kook, who spoke of "speaking" rather than writing.

If I've made it this far, perhaps I should continue to live as I have in recent years. Be on good terms with other people, keep reading and writing, but above all keep going to the gym every morning. Speaking of gyms, last week I met a member and simply said to him: "You know, I've reached fin et y." He replied, "And me, do you think I'm four ninety?." I was flabbergasted.

A certain Alphonse Allais (1854-1905) had a rather nice saying: "Don't ask me my age, it changes all the time". I'd love to give that answer too.

In Jean Lévi's book Confucius, I read a passage by the sinologist León Vandersmersche who said: "At fifteen, said the Master, I resolutely devoted myself to study. By the time I was thirty, my ideas had been formed. At forty, I was no longer plagued by doubts. At fifty, I was compressing the sky's mandate. At sixty, I intuitively discerned the right doctrine. At seventy, my conscience spontaneously aspired to righteousness."

I've reread this paragraph more than once, wondering if I've done the same exercise. I know, however, that on December 31st of each year, I write a summary of what happened that year, which I'll read again later.  

I read a beautiful paragraph written by Anthony Hopkins and I feel compelled to share it so that the reader can have a better life. Here it is:

« I'm fully aware of my mortality, but at 87, I don't wake up every morning with the urge to misbehave. Age is no obstacle when you're passionate about what you do. The real secret is to maintain your curiosity, keep learning and not let the fear of time stop you from enjoying life. Every day is a new opportunity to create, write and show that it's never too late to move forward with enthusiasm and joy »

If this message isn't an invitation to behave better, to enjoy life more, then I've got it all wrong. On the other hand, if I've been lucky enough to make it to 80, will I have some wisdom to share with others?

However, I'll think about diet recommendations and listen to medical advice. Today, to get to 90, I'm going to continue living as I have for the last ten years, without changing a thing. Who can beat that?

On the other hand, maybe at 100, when it seems that centenarians are a special breed of people who have lived long and fruitful lives. So it would be good to listen and take note of how they've reached this impressive milestone.