How to stay young

I just entered an online contest to win a bike.. I am already dreaming about where I am going to store my new bike and how great my first triathalon is going to be with me on my new bike.  I will not have to ride the old sears bike that is in the shed with 2 flat tires.  And I will not have to ride the company bike that I frequently borrow but then I feel guilty because the bikes are for the employees and I should certainly be able to go get my own bike instead of stealing the bike out of the company cafeteria.

Anyway, to enter the contest you had to write a few sentences on how to stay young.  Of course, I immediately thought of food and all of my “food preaching” that I so enjoy – no plastics in the microwave, no plastic water bottles, local organic produce, no lunchables or sugar cereal (sorry Josh). Except that when I read the other entries I realized that everyone was basically preaching the same sermon – the contest is of course on a health food site.

Hmmm… what do I do to feel good (younger) that is different?  Well, honestly if there is one lesson to be learned from getting cancer it is that you really do find out who your friends are.  Without friends, you will not stay young.  Everyone needs at least one person, and preferable 5 or 6, to call at all times of the day or night and repeat the same tragic or funny or pitiful story to.  I am lucky enough to have a husband who can always be counted on, unless of course the story is about him and then I can call my sister who is always available to provide enough therapy that I am pretty much guaranteed to stay young forever. 

Except for right now I can’t call her because she is writing her paper.. and no phone calls can be accepted on paper writing days – I have to wait for her to call me, which is a bummer when I really need to talk.

I also have a circle of 4-5 other good good friends and I can almost always find at least 2 or 3 of them to tell my story of the day to.  Of course, I call them so that I can hear their story of the day also. So, unlike vegetables that you eat and feel young and then move on, friends are a renewable resource. You can replenish the friendship every day with a walk or a phone call – or if it’s my sister, you can call 10 times in one day and it would be fine.

I am going to look really young talking on the phone on my new bike J