Editorial 21 August

Everything is beautiful in its time

Somebody asked my father what the best thing about getting old was. He said, “Enjoying the accomplishments of others without feeling the need to do the same thing yourself.” At that time I was involved in coaching netball at intermediate school level and had tried unsuccessfully to encourage the girls to watch some of the higher grade teams play so that they could learn from observing the girl who played their position on the court. But their concentration span was next to nil. However, I had no trouble getting them to practise skills and listen to explanations of various drills I wanted them to perform. I concluded that they would much rather play the game than watch it, any day of the week.

My elderly father (a former enthusiastic participant in sport) and my netball girls were at opposite ends of the ‘achievement continuum’. Most of us are somewhere in the middle. We enjoy our various physical pursuits and sometimes even compete in events suited to our capability, but we are under no illusions about becoming world class gymnasts or sprint champions. Too late for that now.

When we were young we were only interested in the sports we felt we could ‘have a go at and maybe get good at’, and we felt compelled to do so at the earliest opportunity. (That’s why the neighbourhood boys need to hit cricket balls on the street every time the Black Caps play at home, even when the game is still in progress.) These days we are able to admire the performances of Olympic athletes and enjoy their successes without the compulsion to do the same thing. Execute twisting somersaults into a pool from that height? Heaven forbid!

There is nothing wrong with the ‘me too’ attitude of the young or the ‘strictly spectator’ posture of the elderly when it comes to sport, or any number of life’s endeavours. There is a time for everything and that thing is beautiful at its right time. For most of us we can still move and accomplish, and gain more understanding of what it takes to achieve a certain goal. We can cheer the young along, relishing in their successes, whether they belong to us or not. And that too is a thing of beauty.