At age 69, I realize aging is a process of growth and deterioration of body and mind. At an early age my passion was to become a major league baseball player. Unfortunately, my love of baseball was not matched by my talent. All those years I loved baseball, I hated school. Then, at age 24, acquiring knowledge became my passion. The learning process became part of the aging process. Every waking hour that I wasn't working I was reading.

The more inquisitive I became, the more I wanted to write down my thoughts. Then at age 50, with great trepidation, I started to write in a journal. My fear was that I wouldn't have something worthwhile to write about every day. Today I'm into my 19th year writing in the journal, having missed only a few days. Every day I have the opportunity to be creative without having fear of criticism and rejection rearing its ugly head. I have completed my autobiography. I can't think of a better legacy to leave my kids and grandkids.

For me there is no greater passion than everlasting curiosity of how the world operates. It keeps my mind active. My love for learning provides me the highest level of serenity.

I believe mind and body will atrophy if I don't exercise them. We think of aging in negative terms. We see it as degradation. With people living longer the process is dragged out. However, I see "older" people staying involved with the world. Instead of accepting their fate, they recognize that life offers more when they challenge their minds.

Aging begins at birth. It is not only physical but mental. The aging process needs nurturing throughout one's life. Aging enables us to become the creative, imaginative human beings we were meant to be. Aging has allowed me to enjoy the miracles of the universe. There is such incredible beauty around us and within ourselves that we seem to take for granted. The real beauty is in the mysterious and unknown. The older I get the more opportunities I have to say, "Ah ha, I got it!"

There is no greater love than the love of learning.