Extend Your Youth - Part One

I get kidded a lot for not acting my age.  My thought is that "Age is a state of mind!"  Therefore many times I consider that I am in my 20's to 30's or half my age (or so).  This came to life this fall when I was fortunate to become a Security Guard for the University of Tennessee at their football and other sporting activities.

Going into this task, I knew I was not going to make much money but wanted to see if I could have an impact on the people I served.  The company placed me to guard the locker room entrances for the UT football team.  I was in Volunteer heaven.

Standing on your feet for twelve plus hours is tough for an ADHD person and so when there was music playing before or during the game, I would dance in my location.

Recruit potentials are always escorted by student hostesses.  As they walked by the locker room I'd smile and greet each family with a "Great to have you here" as I never missed a step to the beat of the music.  Soon hostesses would stop and dance along with me.  For some reason, that broke down the barrier from old man to someone they wanted to talk to each week.  I made it a special effort to learn their first names and some of their last names.

I learned of their majors, where they were from, what they wanted out of life and made sure to invite them to the Faith Promise UT campus for Sunday services.  When they walked by and did not smile or laugh, I'd stop them and say, "Are you OK?"  The barriers were down and so I learned a lot about these thirty some young men and women.

Another aspect was that the trainers for the teams are "second class" people in the world of college football.  Each time they would go into the locker room  or leave the locker room for the field, I would hold the door for them.  This little task paid off with big results.  I'd get a smile and many thank yous and learn of their life goals but the best was when a trainer would say, "You don't have to do that for me".  I'd reply, "You are important and it is my honor to serve you."   Everyone would see them stand taller and smile with a renewed vigor.  Even though I was three times their age, I felt younger to be serving the next generation.

So often we think that getting old we must rely on the youth to take care of us, yet you can feel so much younger yourself by doing things for the next generation, who we may think are going the ruin our world.

Funny but they said that about us and we have not done a great job of saving the world but we can show honor to the next generation and in turn extend our emotional youth.  The secret is to use your experiences to teach as you serve those youth.

Go out and extend your youth by being young of heart and mind!