Aging Gracefully

About a week ago I watched a documentary called "Young @ Heart". It is about a Choir that tours around the world doing their own special versions of songs by popular groups like "Rolling Stones", "Radiohead", "Coldplay" and the "Ramones", just to name a few. Their concerts invariably sell out. I would love to be a part of that choir - only problem is I'd have to wait a while, a really long while - about 40 years actually.

You see, the Choir, also called "Young @ Heart", is comprised of members who range in age from 73 to 89.

What impressed me most about the documentary (a copy of which I would be more than willing to lend to anyone who’d like to see it) wasn’t the choir members’ ability to sing, but their spirit and dedication to the Choir. How many octogenarians to you know that would be willing to listen to, let alone sing, a song like “Schizophrenia” by “Sonic Youth”?

Or have such humour to sing “I Wanna Be Sedated” or “Road to Nowhere” or “Staying Alive”? - All of which can be found on YouTube and are very amusing.

Or bring such poignancy to songs like “Fix You” by “Coldplay” or “Forever Young” by “Bob Dylan” (both of which still give me goose bumps when I watch the videos).

They all seemed to have such a love for life and a loyalty to the choir. They faced health issues and even death of fellow choir members with poise and grace and in true showbiz fashion – the show must go on.

All of which has left me hoping that I can age that gracefully.

I hope that, at 80, I will have such a love for life and a desire to try new things. Watching the documentary has reminded me that I can learn a lot from my elders – probably the most important of which is to always stay Young @ Heart.