The last time I visited Cedar Key I was worn out! I`d just won Gold and Silver Medals in the Gainesville Senior Games, and was wondering if they still made Geritol, and if they did, how much alcohol was in it. I was contemplating the reality of being "over the hill". It was the 1st time I`d competed in the Senior Games, and it took quite a lot out of me. A growing number of 50 and 60 year olds still have a lot of spunk! These people didn`t spend a lot of time in front of the TV or complain about the cost of prescriptions. They had active lifestyles and knew the secrets to staying healthy. One of the main ingredients is to keep moving. The ticket is to find an activity that you like and just keep doing it.
I discovered Cedar Key over 20 years ago, when I was living in Orlando and was searching for a place to get my head together. I stumbled onto the island on a fluke and cherish the discovery. The slow pace of CK has always been an escape to rest, relax, and regroup. I remember sitting on an outside patio on the waterfront, watching huge storm clouds glow with lightening in the distance. I was mesmerized. After introducing the island to friends, we`d often regroup at the campground on the water near the High School. We`d unpack the cars, unload our tents, fishing poles, and bikes, and not get back in our cars until it was time to leave. We often visited the L&M bar and started off the weekend downing a worm to slow down the pace. Later, biking through the cemetery and around the airport, gave us a since of peace and wonder. I can remember looking up at the sky on a clear night at Carolina Beach, NC back in the 1950s (before streetlights) and seeing the Milky Way and its zillion stars and planets. I`d not seen the stars like that in many years, but was excited to see they were still there from Cedar Key. What a great place to sit and wonder about the people out there looking back, while listening to absolutely nothing but the crickets and a touch of tinnitus in my ears. During the day, we rode bikes, walked, or jogged around the town. I`m seeing increasing numbers of people doing the same these days. (But I still see an occasional person "walking their dog" with a golf cart). One day, I hope CK will consider having their own road race to challenge people to stay active, and bring a bit more "green" commerce to the businesses here. In the last few years, more and more people are learning that healthy lifestyles-including eating the right kinds of foods, stopping smoking, and turning off the TV, actually does make you feel better, sleep better, and have sharper minds. Never mind what the American Medical Association and the FDA keeps telling us. Drugs will never "make" us healthy. It`s up to us. So, lace up those PF Fliers and start slow and easy. I`ll see you on the rebound. (Michael Edwards is a Board Certified Health Educator and has just jumped into his 65th year. He currently lives in Valdosta, GA and visits CK at every opportunity. He is working on his 4th book. Read one of his previous books "The Last Battle for Independence-The Complete Story of the Fort Fisher Hermit" at the CK Library). |
