Searching for the Fountain of Youth

Sept. 29, 2015
Chasing the Fountain of Youth is something we all have in our power. Done right, it’s actually heathy for us as individuals and as cops. And it’s a chase we can start today.

No one lives forever, but that’s no reason not to try!

Ever since Ponce de Leon’s legendary 16th Century search for the mythical Fountain of Youth (a possibly not entirely truthful depiction of his vast and colorful explorations) that would eventually lead him to what would later become Florida (where a quick look around makes clear there is NO fountain of youth to be found there!), humans everywhere have been searching for the secrets of staying forever young.  It is said ours is a youth worshipping culture, fearful of aging and the loss of vitality, obsessed with tricking time and denying its inevitable advance.  That observation is usually made critically, as if the desire to hold onto the advantages of youth is something for which we should be ashamed, or somehow diminishes respect for the wisdom and experience of those who’ve lived long and well.  But I think such criticism misses a larger and more important point.

-------------------

While I’d hardly fall into the “youth worshipping” camp, there are those – for instance, Althea – who would tell you I am a little obsessed with, if not actually staying young, at least holding tightly to the more positive physical and emotional attributes of youth.  I’d agree.  On the cusp of turning 50, and with nearly twenty years on as a cop, I’ve gathered quite a lot of life experience and wisdom.  My education, years in social service before joining the police, time as a writer and educator, an array of volunteer responsibilities throughout adulthood, and how Althea and I have lived life together help round out the total package of who I am, so far.  I am happy with life and where it’s brought me and look forward to what’s ahead. 

But a quarter century passes in a blur and I can often remember being 25 as clearly as I can 45, and sometimes even more so!  When everyday aches and pains pop up, often from simply a sudden movement or of even completely mysterious origin, I flash back to the days (that feel) not so long ago when I could put in a 12-hour workday, play pick-up basketball until well past midnight, followed by beers at the local “open till the birds start singing” dive, only to do it all over again the next day.  Smart?  Of course not, but definitely fun!  I doubt I could ever pull that off again, though (or want to, anymore); the energy and stamina simply aren’t there, having somehow sneaked away somewhere between then and now. 

Growing older is inevitable as long as we manage to avoid the less attractive alternative.  With it comes the almost as inevitable slowing of reflexes, the many normal physical signs of aging, diminished physical resilience and slowed healing of injuries, the need for greater and more careful warming up of muscles before activity, and weakened immunity to illness and infection.  Brain neuroplasticity is not as great as when we were younger; the intake and incorporation of new knowledge is less efficient and requires greater effort.  For most of us, memory starts slipping to some degree sooner or later.  While this is all happening, time seems to accelerate, passing us by as we seemingly hurtle through life at ever increasing speed.  That sensation of accelerating time is real, by the way, and with a rather fascinating and well-researched explanation requiring far more time and expertise than I have.  The counter to it, however, is something I can and will address.

-----------------

In many ways, police work really is a young person’s game. Funny, then, how it seems to push so many of us toward prematurely aging not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. 

Look around almost any department large enough and fortunate enough to have a workforce with a diversity of age and experience.  Chances are, you’ll notice a lot of disparity in health and physical fitness between the youngest, newest officers and their peers even just a few years older.  This is not to say all the older officers will be in poor health and/or out of shape, of course, or even very many.  I’d wager, though, some will be and not because of injuries or primary health problems that make staying fit difficult.

For patrol officers, the simple act of strapping on a heavy duty belt and ballistic vest every day, climbing in and out of a squad multiple times every shift, and occasionally and unexpectedly having to expend bursts of adrenalized energy to chase or fight resistant arrestees takes a physical toll.  Accumulate enough injuries, eat a steady diet of processed food downed on the run, and spend a decade or three crammed behind a steering wheel and see how motivated you are to focus on fitness.  See the worst of humanity as its front line enforcer and counselor and is it any wonder even youngish cops assume a curmudgeonly demeanor well beyond their years? 

The thing is, and despite all the excuses we can generate, we owe it to ourselves, our communities, the profession we’ve chosen, and the cops we work alongside to focus on fitness.  We owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to avoid allowing our bodies, brains, and outlook to age beyond our years. 

---------------------------

My small obsession is driven by a secondary concern.  Having grown up in family rife with certain health problems – heart disease, diabetes, macular degeneration to name a few – I’ve developed what I call a healthy fear (others might see it as paranoid hypochondria, but what do they know) of debilitating illness and early death.  Either way, it’s a great motivator.  Working with cops whose lives have been permanently altered by physical injuries that happened in the blink of an eye is a powerful stimulus to do anything I can to minimize the chances of it happening to me.  I’m not naïve.  Some things you simply cannot avoid; accidents happen, disease can strike even the healthiest-living among us, and hidden genetic grenades detonate at any age.  But I also learned aging and health outcomes are largely guided by life choices and decided, to whatever degree of power I possess, to do what I could to live well for as long as possible.

Getting older might be inevitable; growing “old” is largely a choice.  And there are practices we can all adapt today to improve quality of life and live more youthfully no matter our chronological age.

Make Healthy Dietary Choices

The importance of eating well – conscientious choices about not only what to eat but also what to avoid – is becoming ever clearer.  The science of nutrition is abundant and growing, and there really is no reason not to make healthy food choices if you possess a computer, a little time for research, and proximity to a well-stocked market.

The problem is one of ease:  It’s easier to simply grab-and-go; It’s easier to warm up heavily processed, inferior quality food than to prepare fresh ingredients; It’s easier to cram in massive amounts of calories in a sitting than to eat a number of smaller, healthier meals through the day (a piece of fruit here, some nuts or whole grain bread there, etc).  Eating well is worth the time, however, and the benefits are immediate.

Get Regular and Consistent Exercise

The number of once highly active and physically fit people who have let go of their earlier, healthier selves is legion.  And this describes far too many cops, too.  Pre-existing health problems and serious injuries do genuinely preclude a lot of us from maintaining regular exercise, but a lot of us simply stop; life gets in the way, we’re tired, it’s more immediately gratifying to sink into the Laz-E-Boy at the end of the day. 

But movement is critical!  Our bodies do really work on a “Use it or Lost it” principle.  The more and longer you are inactive, the harder it is to get back into being active. 

I was seriously injured on the job about two and a half years ago, in a way that could have easily led to permanently decreased mobility.  Instead, over the months of light duty and intense physical therapy I was forced to endure, I vowed to greatly increase my activity even after my rehab was done.  Today, I run and walk regularly, covering from 4 to 10 miles on foot per day, practice yoga, and work out far more than I ever did even as an active and athletic kid and young adult.  Physically, I feel better that I have in years and, as I approach 50, am more physically fit than I was in my late 30s and early 40s. 

Brian Fass has written many excellent and informative columns for Officer.com over the years we should all be reading and following.  Their excellent, and perfectly suited for cops.

Nurture a Youthful Mindset

We’ve all known older people who live life like someone half their age, or less.  They stay in tune with current topics and trends, remain open-minded to new experiences and ideas, cultivate cross-generational friendships, and refuse to become a stereotype.

Seek Out New Experiences

 Out tendency, especially as we age, is to stick with what we know, avoid the uncomfortable and unknown, and settle into patterns.  This can lead to mental stagnation.  Taking on new challenges, unique projects, and novel experiences is one of the best ways to engage your brain and keep it young.  These tend to generate growth of new neuropathways, leading to improved brain health. 

Going even deeper, it is possible to both add experiences and also slow the perceived passage of time. 

Not only should we accept challenges and try new things, we should select some of them to delve deeply into.  By going for immersion in select endeavors, we experience multiple layers of learning and growth, occupy time that would otherwise fly past in the everyday routine, and feel the growth as we did when we were young and trying to master a new sport, instrument, or subject.

For instance, rather than just learn guitar, decide to master it, form a garage band, and actually perform in front of people.  You may never achieve it, although you might, and the point is to go deep and enrich the experience.  Go after a master’s degree or doctorate, start an entirely new career, set your sights on learning and doing something outrageous in depth, instead of as some brief diversion, and your perception of the passage of time will slow and feel so much richer.

-----------------------

Chasing the Fountain of Youth is something we all have in our power.  Done right, it’s actually heathy for us as individuals and as cops.  And it’s a chase we can start today. 

Sponsored Recommendations

Build Your Real-Time Crime Center

March 19, 2024
A checklist for success

Whitepaper: A New Paradigm in Digital Investigations

July 28, 2023
Modernize your agency’s approach to get ahead of the digital evidence challenge

A New Paradigm in Digital Investigations

June 6, 2023
Modernize your agency’s approach to get ahead of the digital evidence challenge.

Listen to Real-Time Emergency 911 Calls in the Field

Feb. 8, 2023
Discover advanced technology that allows officers in the field to listen to emergency calls from their vehicles in real time and immediately identify the precise location of the...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Officer, create an account today!