Sharry Miller

Life Began at 37

At some point in time as we chatted while hiking Crow Pass, I mentioned to Jenny that I hadn’t been active for all that many years. It was only as a middle-aged adult that I started being more athletic. I knew what event precipitated the whole odyssey, but I wasn’t sure exactly when. This evening, I was sorting through some old journals, which I really only keep when I’m traveling, and found the one for... Read more →

Birthday Blues

6It’s my birthday, the last healthy one of my life. Or so The Blue Zones website tells me. Blue Zones, if you’ve been missing out as I have for the past few years, are discrete populations that are known for unusual longevity, and especially for having an unusual number of centenarians. Dan Buettner is the author of a book by the same name and giver of TED Talks, and he led teams of scientists to... Read more →

Being Young while Getting Old(er)

I'm reading Montaigne in Barn Boots by Michael Perry. Near the end of the book, the 51-year-old author writes, "It seems somewhere around my current life stage, people make one of two moves: Some stiffen, dig in their heels, and attempt to block the future; others reinvigorate life by blending it with the spirit of youth." Like Perry, I am working to achieve the latter. I consider myself a reasonably active person, and I enjoy... Read more →

46!

It doesn't seem quite possible that I'm closer to 50 than 40. I'm pretty sure I should still be in my early 30s. I know, I know - quit whining. We all have the same lament as we age. Nonetheless, it's my birthday, and it seems like a good time to take stock and see where I'm at in life. I've never been one to set one-month goals, let alone 5 or 10-year goals. I... Read more →

Old?

My friend Miriam, who was 90 at the time, said to me, "There is a great misconception about aging. People think that other people become more wise with age. It's not true at all! They just become more of whatever they are. If they're crabby, they just become a crabbier old person, or boring, or whatever!" - SARK, Living Juicy - Daily Morsels for Your Creative Soul Unfortunately, I think, despite popular misconceptions, that I... Read more →

Laugh at Yourself

Laugh at yourself first, before anyone else can. - Elsa Maxwell (1883 - 1963) I just read this quote in Sheepish: Two Women, Fifty Sheep, and Enough Wool to Save the Planet, a humorous memoir about sheep farming by Catherine Friend. As I have been trying to do more often when I read a statement that's been quoted in a book unrelated to the quotee, I did an internet search on Elsa Maxwell to find... Read more →

Shoulder Surgery Eventually

Although I've alluded to it in several posts, more or less blatantly, I've not yet officially announced that I have to have shoulder surgery. An appointment with Dr. Rhyneer in Anchorage yesterday unfortunately confirmed what I'd already strongly suspected. I slipped in a puddle of water in November (darn Crocs are slippery on wet floors) and fell. It would have been a classic pratfall - feet straight out in front with a hard landing on... Read more →

Confidence

Kim posted a quote on Facebook today that caught my attention: "If you want to do something big in your life, you must remember that shyness is only the mind. If you think shy, you act shy. If you think confident you act confident. Therefore never let shyness conquer your mind." This sentiment is profound enough in its own right, but consider its source: Arfa Karim Randhawa. At the age of nine, Pakistani-born Arfa became... Read more →

Like, Love, Respect

Several days ago I wrote about wanting to preserve some sort of friendship with my daughter as she enters her preteen and teen years. Comments from Wendy and Mandy reminded me that we may not always be friends and she may not always like me, but that's not what's really important. After reassuring me that the fact I was even thinking about my relationship with Rowan was a step in the right direction, Wendy wrote,... Read more →

Raising My Daughter, My Friend

A week or so ago, Rowan and I went skiing together. It was our first time out this season, so we didn't go very far. I was pleased that this year, finally, she was able to keep up with me, at least for the distance that we went. She still doesn't have the endurance, or the will, to keep moving for as long as I'd like, but we're getting there. In addition to having fun... Read more →