I found myself quite at home in "the land of all things old." (A term my friend Kate coined for Florida.) Waking up early with Super Grandma; talking over coffee and fibrous cereal as my boyfriend tried to sleep through our chatter; watching the beauty of the sun as it woke up and went to sleep; going on power walks instead of runs to keep pace with the elder morning exercisers; periodically napping on the beach while reading sappy novels for hours just like my older neighbors; and transporting my dinner from kitchen to lanai on a tray, all made for the most relaxing and enjoyable Spring Break. I left after 5 days craving more.
I remember some of my teammates (well, perhaps all of my teammates) referring to me as the grandma of the team. (My friend Kassen was the mom as she baked delicacies and cleaned the locker room for the team on a weekly basis, but I was the grandma!) I had hip problems; I yelled at my housemates around 10 PM once a week because it was bed time and I didn't appreciate their boisterous behavior; I started eating fiber every morning and going to mass everyday; I tried my best to speak poetically in language from the days of yore (and most of the time got called out for using vocabulary inappropriately); and when I did repeal my prohibition on alcohol after junior year and started to go out with my teammates again, I stuck to dancing the twist at the bars instead of the more modern rap dancing my teammates practiced.
To a large extent, like the 75+ demographic, I like structure and pattern to my days. I like to have my schedule organized, and I like to have things planned so as my Mom says, "I have something to look forward to." (There was a period after college when I felt I had nothing to anticipate, and it was depressing.) However, during my vacation over Spring Break, while talking with Super Grandma over some tacos that I prepared for dinner, I mentioned my love of routine, especially as it related to my running habits. As a life long aficionado of Yoga, Super Grandma said that I shouldn't be that way -- That in my running I need to find the Ying and the Yang. I run 4.5 miles every day around the Notre Dame campus, wearing UnderArmour performance apparel to signify that I am true runner, not a jogger. (However, when I get passed on my route by a younger, more sprightly cross country team member, I recognize that I am just a wannabe.) I run the same way on that route every day. I exit my condo and run to the right. I don't know why, but this makes me feel more comfortable. Super Grandma said, you can't do that. You need to start by running to the left first, and then you need to start running other routes.
Though this example of running focused on my exercise habits, it made me start to think about the other areas of my life where I have adapted a pattern of ritual and routine. When I tend to color my experiences in predictability, task management, pragmatism, and securitization I fail to see the full spectrum of possibilities. My boyfriend has preached about the benefits of playing things by ear and seeing where the day takes him. On unscheduled weekends I try this with him and have seen the rewards from the fresh and exciting surprises behind every corner. This practice is initially hard for me, but as I start to open myself to it, I recognize the benefits from opening doors to new encounters and viewpoints -- from leaning to the left as well as to the right.
Super Grandma has traveled the world and had 83 years of rich experiences. She deserves to have a sense of repose to her day. As for me, I don't think I will surrender some of my geriatric habits, but at 27 years old I need to be aware of and open to all the opportunities presented each day. I need to wake up every morning and challenge myself so I get out of the comfort zone. I want my grandchildren to deem me "super" one day.
Carpe Diem,
Lo
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