Youth Wasted.

As I was walking to the nearby track for my afternoon run, I walked by an elderly man with a backpack on that stopped to catch a breath of air. I asked him if he needed help carrying whatever it was he was carrying, but he kindly refused and we struck up a random conversation. (I'm notorious for talking to strangers. I think it comes to me naturally as my subconsious rebelling against my parents who always told me not to do so.)

He told me that "Youth is wasted on the young." He went on to explain that young people have everything going for them physically; they're in the best health they'll ever be in. Their minds are sharp BUT they lack the patience, understanding and wisdom, which results in such a waste of this precious time in life. They're in such a rush to grow up, that they miss all the opportunites and abilities of the body that a person who's lived & learned knows what they want to do but don't have the body for anymore. Another way of putting that saying is, "If I could go back to (what ever age) and if I know then what I know now, life would be wonderful."

His speech was so inspiring that I totally walked past the track and walked him to the library several streets down. He was living proof that he was enjoyin every day of his life as though they were of his youth; he was 89 years old strong and healthy. My guess before he told me was somewhere in his 60's.

I definitely enjoyed my run today. Youth not wasted. :)