My old-age cure

It's tough getting old. I remember a few years ago, when I restarted my college career, I was waiting for a class to start and I could not help overhearing a conversation two guys were having in the back of the room. \nThey were discussing my beloved Indiana Pacers' prospects in the NBA Finals. One of them said to the other, "They won't win, they're too old." At that instant I wanted to turn around and say to them, "Listen, punks, the Pacers are just fine, and they will win the championship!" I managed to restrain myself, however. \nOf course, they were right. The Pacers were a fine veteran team, but the youth of the Los Angeles Lakers won out that year. This was a hard lesson for me to learn, but it has been very helpful to me as an older student. I came to realize that, with a few exceptions, the kids that are in college today are smart, mentally nimble and hard working. \nFor me, a 43-year-old person who believed I was coming into college with advantages, this was a scary proposition. If I did not have anything in common with these kids, if I could not intimidate them with my vast experience, what would I do? \nIn a very short time I came to realize that the best way to survive in college, whether you are an older student, from a different country, are of a different race or have other differences, is to learn to work with each other. This is something that is at the core of our university experience. \nMany classes begin on the first day with introductions. Throughout the year these classes work in groups. So, by the end of the semester most everyone knows each other better than they did on the first day when we were all "sizing up" each other. With that knowledge and understanding of each other comes a feeling of connection.\nWe as students really have more in common than we think. For me, some of the most satisfying learning experiences have been in classes where there was a wide mix of ages, cultures and viewpoints. That is not to say the information we receive in class is subjective. But, seeing how the information is used by all walks of life is what college is all about.\nBecause of this I am enjoying my college experience. Sure, I have some basic core values that will never change, and they are different than many of my classmates'. Some of these I attribute to maturity while others are cultural or religious. Still, knowing where each person "comes from" in regard to their opinions helps me gain insights into our world, insights that I will always value.\nThe added benefit is that I keep mentally active. At my age I am becoming ever fearful of Alzheimer's disease. I have had some loved ones affected by this terrible disease, and I want to avoid it. \nVarious studies, including one last year at the University of North Texas, suggest mental and physical activity in middle age will stave off the disease at old age. \nThis is encouraging to me. I want to keep my mind as nimble as my younger classmates, and I am willing to work hard to do that.\nMy philosophy in life can be summed up by the answer I gave a fellow student, who was about 19-years-old, when she asked me: "What do you want to be when you grow up?"\n"I don't plan on doing that," I said.