A few nights ago Sierra and I were lounging around the living room reading, while Jackson, not being much of a lounger, was busy shooting hoops on his indoor basket. The rhythmic thump of his basketball came to a stop and he came over to me and said, “Dad I don’t want you to get old.”

I thought for a moment about letting him know that the alternative to me getting old was to discontinue living, but I spared him the scary sarcasm and simply asked, “Why?” He explained that if I got old I wouldn’t be able to play with him anymore.

It was comforting to know that my son has intentions of “playing” with his Dad for many years to come, because I like to play. He looked genuinely concerned about the prospect of me being “benched” with the advancement of old age. So I did my best to put him at ease.

I told him that the reason I workout all the time is to stay in shape so I will always be able to play with him. He mulled this over for a few seconds, poked at my belly to test its firmness, and said, “Well you stay in shape then.” Apparently convinced that he would have his “old man” to play with for quite some time he went back to shooting baskets.

My children are motivation for me to do a lot of things better in life. Stay in shape, eat healthy, watch my mouth, and just generally try to be a good example. I was brought up around adults that were and still are good examples of how to live and enjoy life so it is my responsibility to pass that along to my children.

I workout at the YMCA several times a week and every time I look around the locker room before or after a workout I am blinded by more motivation to stay in shape.

There is always the same group of elderly men in the locker room and I suspect that some of them don’t workout at all, I think they just come to do what their wives forbid them to do at home…be naked. Their wives have a strong argument.

They just mill around in the suit God gave them, and by the looks of it he’s not going to want it back.

There’s a little lounge area in the locker room with a big screen TV and a couple of recliners. Every morning you can find naked old men lounging in EZ chairs watching CNN and discussing politics with other naked old men. I’ve reasoned that maybe they are all former nudist that are on a rehabilitation program to slowly reintroduce them to a clothed society.

Maybe it’s just me but I find it hard to discuss current events with no pockets to leisurely put my hands in. I also like to feel that I have the freedom to randomly glance about while chatting with someone, but an inadvertent southward glance when both of you are “feeling the breeze” could be taken the wrong way.

Many things in life take discipline and focus, naked conversation is one such thing. Keeping my “play” promise to my son is another.