GeorgiaBoy

I regret not staying in touch with my chums from years ago – garde school, hgih school and so on. I hear there some websites that can help you find old friends but I haven’t yet tried one. Maybe I am worried that I’ll be rejected. I know you can’t go home, as the old saying goes, but still it would be fun to do a little catching up and get on eachother’s Christmas card list.

I am a 43-yr. old male, and have never been sufficiently angry about anything to consider being an activist. But the past couple of years have changed that. I was laid-off after the 9-11 attacks and was unable to find new work in my industry. I started to investigate other professions and quickly got an education of a most unfortunate sort.

I looked at the following professions as potential new fields:
1. The military 2. law enforcement 3. firefighting/paramedic 4. government service – e.g. CIA, FBI, National Park Service, etc. 5. The trades – such as electrician, heavy equipment operator, etc.

All of the fields listed employ middle-aged people, but most place strict limits on entry for employees after age 35. YOu may not join the military if you are over 35 (for active duty) or 39 (a recent rules change upped this age from 35) for reserve duty in the ARNG or USAR. You may not join any of these professions as a newcomer after age 35, or if you can, you are denied the chance of pension benefits extended to younger employees. The military, for example, might waive me in for special skills – such as being a doctor or nurse – but at my age, I would be forced to waive retirement.

I am angered not only because these organizations are losing out on some of the most talented people in our society, but because these rules make so little sense scientifically or morally. An individual who has cared well for himself may be at age 40 or 50 in better shape than he was at 25 or 30. It goes without saying that a 40 yr. old has vastly more life experience and has had more time to develop his or her intellectual skills than a younger counterpart.

It is time for this system to be challenged. I for one do not plan to spend my 60s and 70s flipping burgers down at the local drive-in fast food place. Life doesn’t end at 30 or 40 or beyond. Our culture is ridiculously youth-oriented, and it has damaging consequences we’ve ignored for too long.

I’ve since retrained and have employment, but the frustration and outrage are still there. Anyone else in the same circumstances? If so – please let me know! I’m ready to start mobilizing for change!

I am a 43 year old man, and while I am in good shape, learning a martial art will be challenging. I did some Judo while in college, but don’t know if I want to go back to that. I am not as flexible as I used to be so that is an area of fitness which needs improvement. I also don’t know which style is most suited to my build – 5’10” and 200 lbs. (short and kind of stocky). My wife and I did karate for a while but dropped out when the sensai let us know in no uncertain terms that he considered adult students a distraction from his bread-and-butter, teaching youth and adolescents. On the plus side, I know it can be done even at my age, as my older brother got his karate black belt in his 40s. I’d join his group but he belongs to an out-of-state dojo in Arizona. So – I’ll have to find another one myself. I want to train for fitness, self-defense and also improved confidence and self-image. I used to be a fiery young guy and I hope that a martial art will relight that flame. Wish me luck, as it is sure to be plenty of work. Finding a good organziation will be tough, as there are a lot of fly-by-night outfits around promising instant results. Gotta separate the ‘wheat from the chaff,’ as the old saying goes…