Old People. They Stop.

I learn't something today. Old people. They stop.

I was thinking about this tonight after my trip earlier in the day to a local shopping center. It was just an average trip but something not so average occurred. So many random strangers struck up conversations with me.

There was a time and place in my life when this would be my worst nightmare. Having to stop and listen to some person I don't know go on about mundane things. But now I love it. I love connecting with people and will often go out of my way to start up a random conversation with another. So when someone does this to me I am delighted.

Today was different. I didn't start one conversation. I was to wrapped up in my own little world and didn't have the time. I didn't stop. But someone did. In fact many did.

 I sat thinking about this tonight as it was so odd the amount of people who went out of their way to talk to me. Then I realised something - all of the people who struck up a conversation with me had one thing in common. Their age. They were all elderly. I'd say over 60 at least.

Why is that?

The only answer I could come up with is time. We in our younger years are all trying to get somewhere, to be somewhere, to do something or to get something. Older people, well they've been. They've arrived. They have the time. They stop.

There was a message in my day and I learnt tonight that I too must stop. To stop trying to get some place else other than where I am now. To enjoy my life now as it is.

Why wait until I'm old and grey and my life almost over to stop and enjoy it when I could be enjoying it now.