Enthusiasm

I went to a friend's place for dinner the other night. She had just turned 60, though you'd never know it, and her husband (Graham) is 65. He and I were discussing aging and values with their son-in-law (aged 42) as he cooked dinner for his 3 year-old.

I was saying that I still have the same values and interests that I did when I was 26 and I thought that 26 was when I had become an adult. The other two thought pretty much the same as well. The interesting thing for me, was that Graham said that even though he had the same values now as he did as a 26 year-old, he doesn't have the enthusiasm for some things as he used to.

Three generations
Photo by glindsay65

Interesting. When he was saying that I realised that I don't have the enthusiasm for some things anymore, either. Work, for instance. I have been doing the same thing for 18 years and the thought of doing something else is actually quite enticing. Graham said that he still likes doing what he does (lighting for stage shows), but now he prefers puppet shows for kids, as they only last for 1 hour and that is long enough. Plays and operas last for a few hours and he doesn't have the enthusiasm for spending that long at the theatre doing the lighting.

I am finding that my enthusiasm for things waxes and wanes, depending upon what it is. New things excite me and many things I have been doing for years don't anymore. That's probably not due to aging, but may be due to wanting to try new things - that's what excites me. All we have to do is find those new things on a regular basis and then do them.

What's a new thing that excites you?