Today is our second sea day of a sixteen day Panama Canal cruise, San Diego to Fort Lauderdale.  Sea days are the best for unwinding and recharging the batteries with some good, healthy routines: a fast-paced three-mile walk around the promenade, time at the gym, some yoga stretching, maybe some water aerobics. My must-do’s enabling me to enjoy the not-so-healthy indulgence of irresistible desserts. The ship pastry chefs know exactly who they’re catering to and excel at pleasing the crowds.

Sea days also provide ample time to people watch. As recent newcomers to the 70’s chapter of life—also known as the senior years— we can’t help but notice (or fool ourselves into thinking) that we’re on the younger side of the current passenger demographics.  It’s nearly impossible to watch our fellow cruise guests— many with unsteady gaits, canes, bent backs and trouble getting up out of chairs— without dwelling a little on where we ourselves might be headed. It gives us more incentive for extra laps around the promenade.  At the same time, there ’s plenty of inspiration from those whose  mobility is challenged. Our future contemporaries are venturing out, traveling, and many are walking the promenade, even if the pace is slow and unsteady. 

The best part of people watching happened when we went to the Rolling Stone lounge last night. The band was playing 80’s hits. Out on the dance floor the man with the bent back, twirled a woman around, his involuntary head-tilt giving him a chest-view level of his partner. Song after song, he found a new partner. I briefly wondered if any romance would blossom from his dance moves. A woman I’d seen earlier who walked as though she was on the brink of needing a hip replacement, was kicking up her heels wearing a tight, black leather skirt. Another woman energetically danced alone doing the best Elaine-from-Seinfeld jerking dance impersonation. 

 Watching didn’t feel like observing people reliving their youth. Instead it felt like the music became the catalyst to ignore aches and pains and say to hell with pigeonholing aging. We’re alive and having fun.

 Dancing is now part of our cruising workout routine, not to earn more desserts but to be part of the age busting fun.