Recaptured youth

Former pro wrestler Rick Steamboat

Last night was a historic moment for professional wrestling fans. It was the twenty-fifth anniversary of WrestleMania. With my youngest son being the ultimate wrestling fan, I surprised him by ordering the pay-per-view so he could see it live. As a youth, I can remember watching wrestling legends like Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan battling each other for the right to be called a champion.

Although my son and I enjoyed the wrestling matches, the legends match intrigued me. The match pitted a younger wrestler against three former wrestling legends in their 60s. The storyline began with the younger wrestler calling the three legendary wrestlers old and insignificant.

During the match, I silently prayed for the three older wrestlers. They looked ready to drop dead from a heart attack at any moment. 

My son looked at the three legendary wrestlers and mentioned how they looked like a bunch of old men trying to re-live their youth. I told my son that those three old men were once my wrestling idols. 

My son viewed them as aging seniors while I remembered them as relics of greatness. 

The legends match took me back to some comments I heard on a local sports talk show. Hosts debated on athletes who don’t retire in their prime. 

To make a point, one host referred to OJ Simpson and Joe Namath. Both were legendary NFL stars who played past their prime and retired long after their skills had faded. 

Athlete attitudes about leaving the work force are no different than our attitudes about retirement. How many of us have older co-workers who won’t retire? The reasons aren’t always about finances…they may choose to stay because they still feel relevant.

Even as we age, many of us still feel invincible and believe we can do what we did when were teenagers. Unfortunately, our minds and bodies don't always agree. 

Some of us embrace our older years while others work to maintain their youth. For instance, the plastic surgery business is booming and so are Viagra sales. These are only temporary cures to slow the process of aging or to allow people to make themselves feel younger.

It was great to watch the Jimmy Snuka, Ricky Steamboat, and Roddy Piper recapture their past for an evening in Houston, Texas. It was even better that the WWE allowed these three great men to finish out their wrestling careers in style. 

It's been said that age is only a number and we are only as old as we feel. After watching my childhood wrestling idols suit up for one last time, I felt fifteen again.