Snippett Zone – Temptation Grows Old

Snippett is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and he, she, it lies between the pit of human fears and the summit of mankind’s knowledge. Each point of knowledge is uniquely in a plane at a set of numerical coordinates, which are the signed distances to the point from two fixed perpendicularly-oriented lines, measured in the same unit of length. It is an area which we call the Snippett Zone.

Don’t worry about temptation–as you grow older, it starts avoiding you. – Snippett

Desire and temptation tend to go hand-in-hand. If one has the desire to do something, temptation can’t be far behind.

However, as one ages, desire to do many things begin to wane. The desire to ski a black diamond trail at Purgatory or sail from Catalina Island to Marina del Rey during a Santa Ana wind event, or climb to the top of South Peak of the Sandia Mountains east of Albuquerque are no longer on the bucket list.  Hell, most likely not even the bunny slope, the dinghy races or climb a small hill. It’s a point of self-preservation. As one grows older, one fall, one broken hip can render one an invalid, so temptation goes out the window; well, most of the time.  

When one ages beyond 60, there are other desires that bring forth an entirely new set of temptations. And the why is sometimes understandable- like playing with the grandkids, teaching them how to make mud pies or how to making flatulence sounds with your hand and armpit.  Other desires befuddle the most educated authority in Gerontology. Buying a tricycle motorcycle and leaving on a cross-country tour, or taking up bicycle racing, ice fishing or a number of other activities which risk life and limb but have a reduced chance of falling.

Now there is an alternative to getting old, where desire and temptation are not diminished. Instead of having birthdays we advance in our Skill Levels in the Game of Life. Hell, if Millennials and Gen Z  are constantly striving to move up to the next skill level in FortNite. Grand Theft Auto, Minecraft or even Mario, we seniors with each passing year are gaining more skills, more knowledge about this game we call life. Why shouldn’t we earn the reward of gaining skill levels much the same as the Millennials and Gen Z do with their games? 

This all adds a new perspective for those of us who have surpassed Skill Level 65 in the Game of Life. We now have a far better goal than just becoming a year older; we are moving up in our level of skills required to live and thrive in this life. All the more reason to endure the pain of arthritis, the discomfort of hunting for a restroom, getting up 3 and 4 times a night to relieve ourselves, or struggle up out of the recliner that has been our sanctuary for decades. Instead of signs of age, accomplishing these feats of daring and tenacity earn us stars that culminate in achieving our next skill level.


“Age lies between science and superstition, it lies between the pit of human fears where Skill Levels in the Game of Life  become the summit of mankind’s knowledge.” – Snippett

©2020 Timothy D. Brady