Youth Is Wasted On The Young

I recently heard that quote. I had a reaction to it. It rings as a frightening idea, stopping me for a moment from thinking about what I am gaining as I get older and causing me to consider what I am losing. There is a sense of sadness in the quote. Like that line from the movie Straight Story, when the old man says, "I guess the worst part about being old is remembering when you were young."

I am pretty sure that is the scariest part for me - accepting mortality. I am working toward things that are so meaningful to me, such great fun, making things better in my life and work, and I know I will lose it all.

I feel a need for frantic pacing. And I feel impatient when people don't have that same fire to get things going.

And I am inspired by people who have the fire. I just saw former astronaut Jim Lovell in an interview. He said people who have "the right stuff" are people who love to work by objectives and not just a 9 to 5 job. Basically, you really have to love what you do so much that it is not so painful to spend huge chunks of time working. The word "work" has different emotions attached to it for different people.