Little Sticks

February 17, 2025

I was surprised by the number of aged or impaired travelers on our cruise.  Admittedly, I should have known as much when I took a “no kids” version of travel.  Another giveaway was the cruise sailing in the beginning of February when our kids are in school.  While we did see a good number of French and Greek school groups at every site we visited, they were led by teachers, and we found them doing oratory (critiqued by the teacher) in every theater we encountered.  The kid of course, shot up and down the steps, passing me several times on both ways.  I instead used the Pilgrims Progress approach, slow but steadily working toward my goal. I did not really think much about it until we reached the Acropolis Museum in Athens.  As I stood at the base of a long flight of stairs the guide mentioned there was an elevator available for those who used the “little sticks”.  I was somewhat incensed and took my little sticks up the stairs to the next level.

When I looked online, I found that while walking is one of the best forms of exercise for seniors, it can pose challenges for older adults, such as joint pain, fatigue, and increased fall risk.  Many seniors are turning to walking poles (i.e., little sticks) to minimize these downsides and increase their physical activity so they can enjoy the benefits of walking.  These devices can even enhance your walking experience by utilizing other body parts like your arms and core to stay stable and strong.  Walking canes are primarily used for daily support and provide stability and reduce weight on a weaker or painful leg.  Walking poles are usually used in pairs for activities like walking or hiking and while they do provide balance, they involve the upper body, promoting better posture and evenly spreading the effort between arms and legs, engaging the whole body.  While both canes and walking poles offer support, they cater to different needs and activities.  Knowing the difference can help seniors choose the right tool for their mobility goals.

Nordic walking poles have been around since 1900, but the newer aluminum or carbon fiber sticks really caught on in the 1970’s.  Since then, the popularity of these little sticks has grown to the point where roughly one-third of our excursions carried one or a pair of walking sticks with them.  I purchased my stick 20 years ago as my knee began to deteriorate.  My weak knee has since been replaced, and I now use the stick for my other knee.  My son had given me a collapsible version of a pair of walking sticks for my birthday.  I was unfamiliar with these new sticks and finally decided to bring my cane version.  I was the only one I saw using the cane variety stick and I believe the longer pair of sticks would have helped greatly.  This time my vanity backfired.

THOUGHTS: It was the next day I encountered the challenge of the Oracle of Delphi with the “little sticks” comment still ringing in my ears.  I would like to think that it did not fuel my drive to reach the top, but it probably did.  This is along the line of refusing to accept being called a senior.  If I refuse to define myself as such, I can live out my fantasy.  I have often heard the phrase, “you are as young as you feel”.  This morning, I felt the effects of the hike to the top.  Still, I did not feel as bad as I anticipated.  If I can still push myself, even with the help of little sticks, I can refuse to be categorized as a senior.  Many adjectives we use to define people are seen negatively by the people classified as such.  We need to take care to identify people in ways to choose for themselves, not by what we choose for them.  Act for all.  Change is coming and it starts with you.