Tag Archive for 'vecchiaia'

The writer Erri De Luca interprets elderly years  as the age of experimentation. As soon as I heard this perspective, I found myself embracing an idea of life in these years that corresponds to my current way of living. We move forward into the unknown; our bodies are certainly no longer what they were when we were young, or even just in our fifties. They no longer respond as before, yet they still possess a strength and endurance that, just a few decades ago, would have been considered extraordinary, limited to a few exceptional human beings. Today, however, this is a common trait shared by many people. Therefore, being self-aware, knowing how to preserve oneself while also improving our intellectual, social, and physical abilities, must be seen as a daily goal—not as an attempt to preserve youth, which is, of course, no longer there.

Following this path means committing to the realization of a personal growth project that will continue as long as we have the capacity to pursue it. It is not a challenge with oneself, nor a race against time; for me, it is a way to continue giving meaning to daily life, which is filled with professional work, interpersonal relationships, and physical training. It means living each day in a way that leaves us satisfied with how we spend our time, continuing along this path toward the unknown. Because the obstacles that will inevitably arise tomorrow to limit this way of life are unforeseeable, and when they do appear, we will think about how to face them and move beyond them.

It’s similar to when fog descends in the mountains: you slow down so as not to lose your way, stop to look for the next reference point, and only then call out to your companion who stayed back at the last visible signpost. You reunite and continue in this way until the end of the trail. In everyday life, I try to proceed in the same manner—always moving forward but slowing down when necessary. Old age helps to maintain this approach, as physical and mental recovery is slower and must be respected if one wants to go far. So, let’s move forward joyfully into this new world of old age.