A common Jewish blessing *

I'm pretty sure I've whined about my shoulder/arm injury on this blog before. Probably more than once. But you know, it's so interesting to hear other people's complaints, isn't it? Especially when it's about their failing, sad human bodies.

I know! It's riveting. So you're welcome in advance.

But really, I'm not so much going to complain about my pain, or my disappointment and irritation at my body and its limitations, but talk about what has come about since I decided to do something about said pain.

You'll hear many a yogi say something like, "My injury was such a blessing, it taught me so many things, for instance, blah, blah, blah, and more blah." And while that sounds like total bullshit, on some levels this has been true for me.

I don't feel as though the pain itself has taught me shit, other than getting old sucks. Not an especially feel-good sentiment, brilliant insight, or something you would feel compelled to share with anyone.

However, my quest to try to remedy my injury has led me to some new people, who I have very much enjoyed getting to know, and who I think I may know for some time to come.

I definitely found a new teacher, which is exciting. He knows a lot about the human body. He's been a masseuse for more than 15 years and is also a decades' long yogi and co-owner of a yoga studio (with his wife, also a lovely person) and active yoga teacher. He teaches upwards of 10 classes a week, plus privates, etc. He's helping me rehab my shoulder using a TRX system and has been generally all around helpful.

Fine, good, whatever. But don't stop reading yet, because these facts are only setting the scene, this is not what I want to share. Instead what I want to offer up is something he told me the first time I went in for a massage. In the course of our conversation he told me, in total, complete, President-during-the-Sate-of-the-Union-Address seriousness, that he plans to live to be 120.

120? Years old?!? Really? Now, I can say with complete confidence that he is the first and only person to ever say that to me.

I mean, 120?

Is that aiming high, or just plain crazy talk?

Who wants to live that long anyway?

But this goal of his, well, it shapes his life. He is in it for the long haul. At 50 he's not even half of the way there. Therefore, it stands to reason that he does not view himself as old. Shit, he has a decade until he reaches the start of middle age. Kind-of refreshing. (Or total coo-coo nutzoid.)

I was pretty much speachless upon hearing the news, but the next week when I saw him again, after having had time to contemplate his crazy life plan, I asked him what his wife thought about his goal. His reply was something like, "She doesn't share my in my enthusiasm."

Ha, well, I can't say I'm surprised. But I can say that it is one of the most thought-provoking things I've heard from anyone in a long time. Maybe we should all be living our lives like we're gonna be supercentenarians.... I'd probably need to make a few changes, how about you?


*I guess in Judism, "May you live to be 120 years old," is a common blessing, which I did not know prior to writing this post.