Aging is a fact of life. So, I suppose, are the various negatives that go with it. Now, I’m not getting old without a struggle; I exercise, try to eat right (does anyone know the health benefits of chocolate?) and take an interest in what’s going on around me. No, no, that’s not being nosy. That’s being curious, and curiosity, to my way of thinking, is the best way to stave off that thing called aging (or at least, ignore it).
One of the best ways to stay as young as possible is to take an interest in what my grandchildren are doing. They are active, learning, alert, and they are little gold mines of information. Sara told me about something known as PENDAS. That certainly stirred the curiosity of this grandma. It has something to do with math and seems to be a new way of studying, or a learning tool.
A couple of days ago, the eastern part of Arkansas felt a mild earthquake. Why? Is the Madrid fault acting up again? The same day, Puerto Rico felt a much larger tremor. Were the two connected? I don’t know, but I’m curious.
My favorite question has always been “Why?” And trying to find the answer is the fun thing that lends a sparkle to life. It also helps a lot when one’s burning passion is writing. Ranking right up there in importance is another question, “What if..?” And that’s where the fiction part of writing comes in. Sometimes, the answer to why something is the way it is seems elusive or unknown but figuring out a possible answer is why I write cozy mysteries.
For example, when Darcy fished a strange package out of an old well, she wondered why it was there. When she saw what the package contained, her curiosity was stirred and in trying to uncover some old secrets, she explored different leads, different “what ifs”. The first thing I knew, there was the third Darcy/Flora book, Best Left Buried.
Getting back to my topic of trying to stay young (or as young as possible), I would say ignore those niggling facts of life, like gray hair, sagging muscles, wrinkles, and concentrate on what is really important–staying alert, knowing what is going on in the world around us, and do not ignore that wonderful thing called Curiosity. It’s a gift. So read, write, explore, ask questions. Age? It’s only a number!
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