Relative Something

Pursuing optimal health is a noble goal, but one where “optimal” isn’t a static state. It changes over time. Physical health can change significantly as we age, so what was optimal for me during my athletic peak isn’t a realistic goal for me anymore. My current optimal involves less speed and agility and more rest and recovery.

Same thing goes for my mental health. I stopped playing guitar not only because of benign hand tremors and pain in my hands, arms, and shoulders, but also because I could no longer remember all the chords or verses of songs I played and sang for all the years before. My fading memory and physical discomfort made playing less rewarding for me.

So, my version of optimal health has morphed from playing guitar to an increased appreciation for listening to my library catalog of musical artists who have inspired me over a lifetime. It allows me to cultivate more love for other musicians rather than dwelling on frustration or sadness about relegating my hobby to the past.

Since I believe that love can be telepathically beamed to others, I acknowledge that negative thoughts and feelings would just as easily get projected into the world. It would be great if I didn’t do that, but when confronted with evidence of the awful things people can do to others, my reactions are involuntary. It creates a train of thought that takes commitment to interrupt.

That is something I have some experience doing. Long ago, I learned to recognize and redirect the dysfunctional thinking of depression as a method of defeating the disease. Overcoming depression is probably the most significant stride I’ve taken toward my optimal health.

Learning of people I know who are dealing with memory loss, I am confronted with the question of how “optimal” gets reoriented when our faculties become diminished. What is optimal mental health for a person in that stage of life? You can’t focus on what is no longer possible. Energy needs to be directed toward what is achievable in the here and now.

My here-and-now involves being back at the lake in Hayward, WI, with Cyndie and her mom. We tried to visit a restaurant we remembered well for a Friday fish fry last night, but to our surprise, it had closed last fall. After we dealt with the confusion, the next easiest option was The Steakhouse & Lodge next door, which we’d never been to before. A good time was had by all. I ate too much because it was so delicious.

I should reorient my optimal diet back to healthy portions when eating out. Let me just put that on the list of things I’m trying to remember as aging messes with my metabolism.

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