You Never Knew You Would Feel, Become Like That

After I succeeded to run the Marathon on my 60 th year I thought I would run 70 Km on my 70th birthday, 80 Km on my 80th birthday, you know, as a challenge and my special birthday present.

But when I was 70, I felt running 70 Km is very hard, as on a try, starting from Jakarta running at 2.00 am via Rumpin hills I arrived 1.00 pm in Leuwiliang. So then I choose to bicycle 140 Km, the same road vice versa and succeeded, starting 6.00 am, having a nice picnic in the mountains and arriving 6.00 pm in Jakarta.

When I was 80, there was no way you ever could run 80 Km, or bicycle 160 Km, except perhaps in 4 or 5 days I never thought, expected, you never knew, no young man ever could, that one day in the future, you would feel, become like that.

Today, just walking, - not running - a near distance becomes hard as my legs hurt when walking. I can’t cycle a far distance anymore. Then I thought of buying me a motorized bicycle, or a three wheeled motorized bicycle and I imagined of carrying my lover with me, or a golf car, but it’s a pity you couldn’t drive it on the main streets, or buy me a bicycle that can be folded, yet it is too heavy to carry it folded.

But when one day, perhaps I am over 100, ha, ha, will I ride a wheelchair, or motorize it to drive fast, to have my picnic and enjoy the ride into the country. 

So e mailed Opa Johan his sons and daughters. That was when he was 84.

June 2014