Day 280 - Would you go back to 25?

On a run a couple days ago, one of my work/running buddies, who is maybe 25, and looks 14, a mere child, had the gaul to ask me how old I was.

"Wait. Wait... let me guess... thirteeeeeee five, no six. Thirty-six."

To which, of course, I replied, "Yes, exactly. You nailed it... I'm thirty-six."

I am actually a couple leap years north of 36. I like to call it "thirty-fifteeen".

I'm sure he wasn't trying to flatter me. He just can't see my age from where he is.

It got me thinking on my short run today... Would I really want to be 25 again?

First impulse answer, "Hell yeah!".

I'd like to have my 25 year old body back. That's a given. Well, actually, no it isn't. I was in better shape when I was 34 than when I was 25. More surprisingly, despite being out of warranty, I'm in better shape now than I was at 25. So that's a "no" for the bod.

I sure as hell wouldn't want to relive my 26-35 decade. That is what I like to call "The Cryogenic Decade." Time stood still. It felt like 90 years... like a prison term.

Maybe, I could redo that decade. I made some insanely poor choices in those years that still haunt me today. If I could undo those doozies, I'd be in a much different place.

But, who says it would be a better place. Let's face it, I'd probably make completely different mistakes that I'd regret. And I wouldn't have my amazing kids. Or my idiot dog. Most importantly, I wouldn't be the person I am now.

Let's consider the odds for a second... if I rebooted to 25, what are the chances I'd still be running? I can about guarantee I wouldn't be writing. Who would help my daughter with her math homework? Oh, that's right, my brilliant daughter, and brilliant son, and other brilliant son, wouldn't exist. I probably wouldn't have won a fudgin' Ducati, either.

For good or bad, I'm pretty happy with where I am. And those mistakes, and the ones I've made since then, have brought me to this spot. It may be a messy, meandering, fudged-up path, but it was my path. It led me to the person I am right now, and pointed me toward the person I am going to be.

I guess, I'd have to say, I wouldn't go back to 25. You?

Good running,
Doug

Numbers: another 1.4 rest day/warm-up for stretching.