nowIf you’d asked me what independent meant to me 10 years ago, I would have had a very different take on the word. Nearing July 4th in the States, I’d probably blather on something about our country.
This year my parents, who are in their late 80s, have had a lot of issues. I have watched their independence being whittled away, slowly but surely. I have spent most of my life observing my parents & knowing that I wanted something different out of my life. I love my parents, but they are a clear roadmap for what I don’t want in life.
I want to live better, not longer. There are many things in life I cannot change: accidents, illness, acts of God. There is also so much that I can change: what I put in my mouth, how I react to situations, how I move my body.
I want to be running for the rest of my life. Even more than running, I want to be independent: I want to be able to do what I want, when I want, without having to rely on others to take care of me.
Remaining independent as we age isn’t easy. There’s a quote from the movie “The American President”: America isn’t easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad.
Anything worth having isn’t easy. You gotta want it bad. Remaining independent as we age definitely isn’t easy, but I do want it bad (and pardon the bad grammar!). I plan to run into my “golden” years & remain independent.
What does independent mean to you? Do you think running helps with being independent?
Chocolaterunsjudy 
Absolutely! Most of us spend lots of time on the road, alone, and I think that helps us be more independent in other areas of our life as well.
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Same here! I want to run forever, too, and be able to live independently.
Thank you for linking up!
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My pleasure. 🙂
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Well said. I agree 🙂
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Oh wow this really hit home with me and I can so relate to it! I am blessed to still have my parents here. They are independent but they are not taking care of their self like I would like. I just can’t understand why you would not try and better yourself, try to eat the right things, try to move more. Your so right there are things you have no control over but there are so many you do!!! Thank you for this!
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My parents are still independent, too; I’m not sure they should be, quite frankly, but they still live in the home I grew up in. Actually I know they shouldn’t live there, there’s a flight of stairs to get into the house and my Dad is not very steady on his feet anymore. It’s hard to make the healthy choice – that’s why more people don’t do it – but I think it’s worth it. I hope so, anyway, talk to me in another 20 or 30 years!
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I agree! I hope running is apart of my life for as long as possible. It definitely makes me feel stronger, and thus more independent.
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My parents are both gone but I have a brother, not that old, who is practically an invalid. Some of the issues could have been avoided with a better attitude toward health and MOVEMENT. I want to run forever. I think I’ll enter my first waterski tournament when I’m 90 too. Surely I would place???
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Running at 90 is probably the only way I’ll ever win an AG award. My sister has back problems, but I think that has a lot more to do with the stresses in her life. But she did stop doing anything aerobic & gained weight; of course she’s also bern post menopausal for yrs & I’m not yet. I like your spirit!
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Oh, what a great perspective on this word. My thoughts are at the other end of the aging spectrum, helping my kids launch themselves into independence after college.
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I don’t have kids. Just fur kids. Who are not very independent, of course. 🙂 Kids are never really independent tho, are they? Although I like to think I am. I must say my parents did raise us to be, probably a bit more than they’d like, actually.
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