Welcome to Living Adventure

Trail notes from an ordinary hiker

November 13, 2023

My Story

I’m a happily average 68-year-old, born in Phoenix, living in Maryland, passionate about growing in body, mind, and spirit throughout my life. Over the years I’ve developed habits and practices for my health, strength, creativity, and joy. I seek wholeness, serenity, and ways to connect with and contribute to my communities and the world.

A few years ago I started writing a blog, hoping to find companionship with others on similar paths, to share notes and encourage one another along the way.

Several months ago I noticed that my favorite online writers were moving their blogs to Substack, but it’s only in the past couple of months that I’ve begun to make sense of what Substack is and how it works. Then one of those writers, Diana Butler Bass, wrote a letter to her paid subscribers in which she explained how Substack works for writers. It’s intended to be a place where writers and readers can interact directly, she said, “and form genuine online community with one another.”

Living Adventure

So, here I am, following my curiosity to experiment and play in the Substack world. I’m fascinated with aging well and pushing back on ageism. Right now, I’m reading Karen Walrond’s excellent new book, Radiant Rebellion: Reclaim Aging, Practice Joy, and Raise a Little Hell. In it she reports on her interview with Ashton Applewhite, author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism. With her blog and speaking appearances, including the TED Talk “Let’s End Ageism,” Applewhite fights the negative stereotypes we all internalize. Walrond quotes Applewhite (p. 38):

I think it’s a super-important point to remember that aging is living. We’re aging from the minute we’re born. So it’s inaccurate to say something about the “aging part of life,” because there is no “aging part of life.” Aging is living, living is aging.

Walrond, reflecting on Ashton’s words, says this (p. 44):

I think about her dream of age being treated as simply one of many key identifiers and fully acknowledged, without the weight of judgment that it often carries with it. And . . . that the words she said are commonly associated with youth — “energetic,” “curious,” “willing to take a chance” — are often easier to achieve later in life, due to increased self-confidence and self-awareness.

This is my dream, too, as I write about my own habits and practices for aging well — which is to say, living well — focusing in particular on movement (body), learning (mind), and play (spirit). As my writing evolves, I’ll add some memoir, some stories of people who inspire me, and occasional thoughts on events in the world or in my life.

Trail Notes

I was a runner until my body let me know that walking was more fun and sustainable, so now I do some hiking. I enjoy exploring trails and blazing my own metaphorical trails. The saying “Hike your own hike” applies as well to life, meaning that each of us chooses our own goals, figures out our hiking style, and goes with it.

You can expect new trail notes here about once a week. I’m working toward publishing on a specific day of the week (before Friday night) but I’m not there yet (life interrupts, you know). For now, everything I write is available free to subscribers.

I write in order to discover more of who I am and what’s important to me. If any of it resonates with you, I’m excited to share notes with you!