“Age is Just a Number”
I used to think the whole “age is just a number” line was a bit of a cop-out, an empty cliché. Not so much anymore. And I can thank Satchel Page, a pitcher from the Negro Baseball League. Satchel was recruited to join the Cleveland Indians soon after Jackie Robinson became the first black Major Leaguer. Paige became the oldest rookie in Major League history at age 42, even though he wasn’t sure of his actual age. It was a good thing, too. Paige continued...
...pitching until his last Major League game just two weeks before his 59th birthday.
Turning 59 myself (next week) and marveling at all the young talent in the World Series, this is hard to fathom. When asked once what he owed his success to, Satchel responded with a profound question, one that has changed my life. “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you were?”
We should stamp those words on our AARP cards when we turn 50 and burn them into our hearts. As Satchel also wisely said, “Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”
