Chasing Dreams, That's The Real Fountain Of Youth

*re-written from an article I wrote in 2021....

While hiking on the Appalachian Trail with my sons yesterday, I told them about all the people who make the 2,200 mile hike from Georgia to Maine each year (or from Maine to Georgia).

I told them when I was a program director for a wilderness program for at-risk kids years ago, I'd often hire young people who had just completed the trail. They'd used the experience to bridge a new college degree and their first job.

Yesterday, we crossed paths with a dozen or so folks making this trek. Oddly enough, though, very few of them were young. In fact, almost all of them were middle aged and alone.

I read this quote this morning: "A man is not old until regrets start to take the place of dreams." In reading that, I find myself wondering, how many of those hikers were out there avoiding old age?

I'm wondering this, maybe, because I know that's been me the last several years. A guy aging and feeling regrets adding up and dreams slipping away.

As we passed each hiker, I instinctively said good job. It's a habit I've picked up trail racing, where I'm sure each runner is out there competing against themselves and the terrain. The hikers said thank you in response, as if acknowledging they were out there taking on a challenge more than an afternoon hike.

Each of them looked proud - as if totally aware they were either avoiding or evicting regrets from their lives.

I was glad I had my 12 and 14 year old sons with me. I'm glad they got to witness people chasing dreams. As they asked questions about what it takes to complete the hike, I knew dreams were hatching in their own minds and hearts.

Admittedly, with some fatherly desperation, I encouraged them to chase dreams.

All of them.

I suppose that's because I'm older now. I've begun to experience some of the wear and tear that comes with aging. The eyes fade. Bags and wrinkles start taking over the youthfulness of the face. Some days it's harder to remember things I couldn't possibly forget just yesterday.

For sure, I've felt the torment of aging. But is there a greater torment of aging - a greater hazard - than regret?

Thankfully, that is not an unavoidable hazard.

Because:

We are never too old to line up in Georgia and start hiking.

We are never too old to write that book or run that race.

We are never too old to start a new job or learn a new hobby.

We are never too old to become who we want to become.

The challenge is we never out-age the voices around us and the voices in our head that say we can no longer do the things we dream of doing. And when we listen to those voices, regrets replace those dreams.

Yesterday was a step in helping my boys avoid one of the greatest hazards of old age.

Yesterday was a healthy reminder for this old man that we're never too old to chase and protect our dreams. And maybe in the reminder, a chance to shake off one of the greatest torments of aging.

Chasing dreams. Maybe that's the real fountain of youth.