The real secret of long life

Playing golf last week with my great pal Tony, I told him that he is the epitome of what OnWeGo is all about, and that when we get to create our Hall of Fame he'll be in it.  I was feeling fraternal at the time, after all I hadn't seen him in a year, the round was paid for, and he had laid on a buggy! But gratitude apart I have to say he is an OnWeGo role model.   He is 75, fit as a fiddle, quick witted and still selling membership packages for the FSB with the same passion as he did 20 years ago.
He also takes his golf very seriously. A regular player at Puckrup (and former Club Captain) he still felt that a 9 shots handicap allowance was all I deserved in our round of Stapleford. But he also knew he'd have to play at his best to beat me. And it's that wanting to do your best each day that I believe is the real secret of long life.
We should all marvel at the power of our minds when it comes to things like attitude and determination. Fighting off illness. Overcoming adversity. Raising performance levels in sport. Each week we hear news stories and read scientific research showing how a focused determined mind drives a strong body.

Only today I was reading of work at UCLA that again shows how mental exercise, be it from Sudoku, crossword puzzles or even surfing the net will counter the ageing effect on the brain.  My own anecdotal research would add having purpose to those "stretching exercises."  Regularly doing something that in some way or other requires that you "attempt your best." Whether that is playing to your best, and sport is great for that, or doing better in terms of learning a new skill. Because a stretched brain remains a healthy brain which in turn insists on a healthy body to keep up.

Which is precisely what keeps Tony performing at the level of somebody 25 years his junior.

As to the golf....he beat me 36 points to 30! 

But I remained purposeful to the 18th. An awesome 180 yard par 3 over a lake to an elevated green overlooked by the hotel restaurant and clubhouse.

Tony (former club captain remember) sliced his tee shot into the water. A quiet inner word with myself preceeded a soaring 3 wood onto the green and two putts for par! I enjoyed lunch in the club house...that was also on Tony.