What is it like being 64? I don’t really know. I’m just getting the hang of it. It’s only been a few days since I turned 64.

The mystery of life. Each of us can truly say we have not experienced the next moment in our lives until it comes…we are in that moment.

Think of it. Each moment of our life is new. It is true to say that we cannot plan each individual moment of our life. We can, however; make daily plans. We can also set short, medium and long term goals.
Short term goals could be for a duration between 3 to 6 months.
Medium term goals could be set for a 1 year period.
Long term goals could be between 3 to 5 years.

I am 64 years old now. When I was in my late teens and early 20s; I thought people who were 64 years of age were dinosaurtically old. I mean really, really old. Grey to white hair people, that is if they still had any hair left on their heads; deteriorated eyesight with thick rimmed magnifying lenses framed with a thick black frame and almost always respond with an “aaahhhhh?” because their hearing is almost shot to pieces.

They would sit at coffee shops every morning, possibly holding on to a tongkat (walking stick) to shoo away the stray dogs that would come around them hoping for scraps of food.

They would be with the rest of the old folk and talk on subjects; aimlessly.

But having grown up in the town (now city) of Klang (2) and nearby Port Klang (3), especially amongst the elderly Chinese; I used to watch the art of drinking chinese tea. The kopitiam (Why not “tehtiam”? Don’t know.) fellas or ah moi (1) will pour the chinese tea from a big ordinary aluminum pot to a much smaller teapot made of clay. That aluminium pot is usually kept on a stove to keep the chinese tea in it, hot. Then, the tea is poured from the clay teapot into small cups with no handles. Maybe they got the idea from expresso coffee coming in tiny cups.

The explanation behind this system is that the teapot and cups made of red clay keep the tea warmer for a longer period of time. The small cups will contain tea enough for 1 or 2 sips. (I think).

We can say that this is a lifestyle we choose or perhaps we have inherited it from our generations before us. It looks like our minds may have been conditioned to believe this is the way, the only way? I dare say, “No!”

When I think of it, it’s kind of funny how I expected it to be something of a blast when I crossed the finish line of my 64th year; moving into my 65th.

Many people, when it comes to their birthdays; have this same old saying: “Nothing special. It’s just another day.”

I think it should not be treated as “just another day”. We have an opportunity to learn something new, experience something new. We can share what we have learnt and experienced, with others, and they; with other people, too – The Ripple Effect.

We are all explorers of life. I believe the opportunities are abundant – they are just waiting to be discovered.

Dedicated to the people who believe that “LIFE” is not just about life; it is about living: Jen, Liz

NOTES
1. It sounds like Ah mui or Ah Muay, which in Hokkien is Little sister (阿妹or小妹) and is not derogatory. It is akin to calling someon “miss”…. http://www.quora.com
2. & 3. Klang and Port Klang are located in the state of Selangor, Malaysia.