I’m a Rolling Stone Who’s Decided to Get up And Walk
About Me.
Old hands tell me the About page is very important on Substack. So, why did I leave the useless Substack boilerplate About page on my Substack for three months? I’ve been procrastinating on writing it, with that empty About page haunting me every day.
It’s more comfortable (and easier) to begin a project, “sort of” knowing what you’re about and just winging it — because that way you don’t have to make hard decisions — put it in writing, like drawing up a contract you’ll have to abide by.
I’ll hazard a guess that many people operate under this delusion. My reasoning has been, well, of course, everyone will know what I’m about by the things I write.
Yes, but they’ll also go to my About page and see that there is no writing by the supposed writer. That won’t make a good impression.
You’ll know what I’m about, and I’ll know what I’m about, when I put a marquee above my place of business — Enjoy The Moment — and tell you what you’re going to get when you watch my movie.
Writing about myself helps me discover who I am.
About Me
I’ve always been a rolling stone — rolled along, kicked forward, carried uphill, rolled downhill, thrown every which way, because a rolling stone never gets up and walks on its own. I’ve decided to get up and walk.
A rolling stone gathers no moss, gravitas, or money.
I’m 81, and at the age of 75, I decided to start meditating daily (seven days a week). I had been practicing Zen and meditating for over 20 years, but not on a daily basis. I decided it was necessary, and I did it religiously.
Around the time I began meditating daily, I decided I wanted to start writing on Medium. After a year of world-class procrastination, I published my first article. It was a triumph for me, and a terrible article, but I had begun. The rolling stone struggled to its feet.
I wrote for 3 1/2 years on Medium, practicing in public. Initially, I wrote exclusively about mindfulness and meditation, but it was only when I began writing about aging that I found my writer’s voice, and my writing gained traction.
When I began writing about aging, my writing improved because it was authentic. I wasn’t just telling people how to meditate; I was showing them what it feels like to be 80. Meditation and old age are like coffee and cream, or gin and tonic.
My Mission
So if you’re getting older, or are already old, my message to you is: Old age can be the best time of your life if you play your cards right. That’s not a metaphor; it’s my literal life experience acted out in front of you in each essay I write.
Old age is not a steady descent into illness and frailty, ending at the nursing home — it’s a continuation of the groundwork you’ve laid in your youth and middle age. And my message is relentlessly positive. Research has shown that people with a positive view of aging live 7.5 years longer than those with a pessimistic view.
My writing explores the inner aspects of old age. The spirituality of old age. I don’t write about retirement planning or any of the financial aspects of old age. I’m a total idiot about those things. Consulting me about your retirement would be like hiring a plumber to curate your wardrobe.
I don’t write about exercise and diet for older adults because I don’t have any conventional expertise on those subjects. Although when I start exercising, I’ll probably add it to my writing topics. I stick to what I know.
Aging is also a political issue: it encompasses Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care, and many other aspects. But I have decided not to bring my left-wing slant to Enjoy The Moment. I want everyone to feel welcome here.
I’m writing to help you and to help myself. From me, you’ll learn about the inner aspects of aging, because that’s what I think about and write about nearly every waking hour of my life. And it even invades my dreams.
Old age can be the best time of your life if you play your cards right.
What You’ll Get When You Subscribe
I publish two to four times per week. All my essays are currently free. I want to ensure that I can deliver two to four essays per week before I put anything behind the paywall.
Plus, I want everyone to be able to comment and join the community I’m building here. Substack is not just a reading and writing platform. It’s an amazing amalgam of complete unknowns and the truly famous. It’s a community I want to be a part of, and I hope you’ll join me.
Here are links to two of my most-read essays that will give you a better idea of the man behind Enjoy The Moment.
I Rebooted My Life at 75 and Here’s What I Learned
The Truth About Being 80 That Few People Know
Thank you for reading and joining me on the adventure of a lifetime.
