It’s a mixed bag getting older and I am sure from some people’s perspectives, ancient. I will be hitting 74-years-old in August. My dad was 75-years-old when he died, so that does give me some pause. On some days, I still feel youthful, going from place to place doing stories and just taking care of basic living tasks. And then there are other days when I just feel like laying around all day, experiencing a general sense of exhaustion.

But then again, I remember 20-30 years ago laying around all day on a Saturday watching basketball or football, rarely getting off of the couch. Basically it’s the same thing, but I tend to look at it differently. It’s like a battle between mind and matter. My mind has been pretty good about staying in control. But lately, my body has had its say as well.

One of the joys of getting older — keep in mind that I have been a community activist for over 40 years — is watching how life evolves in Madison and how some things feed into other things.

This past week, It was pretty cool to go see the hip hop exhibit “Lead Between the Rhythm” at the Wisconsin Historical Museum.

I had known the curators in another life, so to speak. I knew Menkhu Ara — when he went by a different name — through the neighborhood centers where he worked. And Greg Doby talked about getting to know hip hop through the S. Park Street festivals. I was on the board of the South Madison Neighborhood Center in the 1980s and was its board president for a year. And we put on the South Madison Black Party at Penn Park where Greg was introduced to breakdancing and hip hop. You never know how your community involvement will impact people’s lives for the better.