Martial Arts for the 21st Century

PETE BOWIE

Pete Bowie, a long time student of Goju-Shorei, is a healthy 73 years old. Last summer he got it into his mind that he would summit 3 of the tallest peaks (the lowest being 10,611 feet) edging our valley. So he did, in one day.

I thought it would be instructive to list Pete's 21 rules on aging.

Pete’s 21 Rules For Getting Old(er)

1. Stand up straight, even if it does hurt to do so.

2. Suck in your stomach and hold it there.

3. Don't stare at nothing. Keep an alert gaze, there is always something interesting to look at.

4. Get the hell out of the way (know when you're in the way).

5. If you've got enough hair to comb, COMB it. Leaving it unkept still won't hide baldness, nor will it make you look any younger.

6. Walk briskly, even if you don't have any particular place to go. barely dragging one foot ahead of the other tells your mind (and the whole world) you're OLD!

7. Don't whine. Nobody else can feel your pain, no matter how well you describe it. Whining only programs your own mind to shut down your body.

8. If you have a limp, don't make a big deal out of it.

9. Don't brag about losing your memory. The few chuckles you get from that aren't worth the negative impression you're implanting into your mind.

10. Don't wear shorts and black socks with street shoes.

11. Smile once in awhile.

12. Find the humor in almost everything, including the aging process. It's your life and you CAN choose how to view it.

13. Hang out with younger people (and try to think like they do).

14. Don't watch Lawrence Welk repeats.

15. If you cough, don't hock.

16. Don't bitch about the things young people do. Your parents bitched about you too.

17. If you can't hear, learn to fake it. Most of the time, nodding & smiling will get you thru a conversation when you don't have a clue what was said.

18. Remember, pain is part of the experience of life. If you have pain, be thankful for the chance to experience it. If you don't have any pain, chances are you are no longer here.

19. Work on and develop your spiritual belief system, starting today. Trying to do so when faced with a potentially terminal illness is like trying to buy fire insurance once your house is on fire.

20. Instead of asking, "Why did this happen to me?", accept that it DID happen, then determine what you're going to do about it. Attitude is everything.

21. Exercise. And don't try to fool yourself, actually work out, extend your limits, whatever they may be.

PETE BOWIE

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