Getting Old and Work

At some point, we realize we're getting older. Then, perhaps not too long after, we get old. What happens when we're still working in our older or old age?

First of all, what brought all this up? It was comments by two folks whose stuff I read from time to time. Father Z, for example. Been reading his blog for many years. (A great place to go every day, by the way.) In recent months, he's mentioned his age, getting older, even that he's an old man. (I think he's in his mid-60's.)

Then there's Norm Yerke. He's an Opus Dei guy who sends out weekly emails. Got on his list upon the suggestion of a friend who's an Opus Dei guy. (I'm not). Been reading his stuff for bunch of years. Now, out of the blue, he referred to himself as an "old guy." 

Both these guys are still working, far as I can tell.

Oh, and let's not skip yours truly. Yeah, I'm older now than I was before. And sometimes those built-up years weigh a bit more than they once did when they weren't so built up. 

But I'm still working.

It's only natural for this "weight" of age to have some impact on daily work. To understand it better, break it down to body and mind and soul. 

Our friend Brother Ass (as St. Francis of Assisi referred to his body) has the most measurable impact. It's especially true for those of us who have ignored the old boy for far too long. A loved one did just that and really was hit hard in his later years. Even harder when he retired from work. I've known more in this condition. If you're not trying to buck up Brother Ass in some way, take heed.

But even if you're in the camp of those who regularly take time to exercise, eat healthy stuff, get a good night's sleep, etc., you're likely not exempt from Brother Ass's aging shenanigans. 

From personal experience, trying to address aging with active healthy living works to a degree. But not 100%. That's why "Brother Ass" was such a brilliant image dear St. Francis left us. He's stubborn and doesn't always respond to our prompts. Simple as that.

Besides body there's mind. While some think mind is just a chunk of Brother Ass (purely bodily, material), it's not. But it sure is tied tightly to our bodies. When we treat our bodies well, our minds seem to be more sprightly. When we ignore our bodies, our mind can follow suit. So our first defense against mental aging (whatever that might be) would be our attention to Brother Ass.

But there's more. If we fill our brains with mush (passive stuff like TV, videos, podcasts - especially if we're not actively engaged in these - the mush gets older and heavier. Don't we all know this? And knowing it, don't we all therefore eschew purely passive stuff and seek active engagement of some sort? Right?

Working helps here. If we're still working we're, in a sense, forced to engage. While active engagement isn't a given even for younger workers, it's a must for older folks. And it takes work to do our best work when you're older.

Unfortunately, these days many of us who work at computers surf instead of focusing on our work. We enable distractions. Whether employee or business owner, don't let this become a habit. If strongly tempted in this direction, use it as a source of mortification. We resist and offer it up to God. 

Know that the practical result of this meandering mind, distracted when it should be concentrating on the task at hand, will be a flabby mind. Maybe this will help to avoid this or break the habit. Those of us who conscientiously attend to Brother Ass's needs will easily know that we don't want a flabby mind just as we don't want a flabby body.   

This applies even if we not old at work. But it's especially important as age begins to take a toll. Age enables bad habits to do their evil work more easily. We need to be aware of this.

We'll have more to say about getting old and work next time. For now, just know that getting old at work will be, or is, something not to be taken lightly - to say the least!