‘I’m moving parts that haven’t moved in years’

“I went walking today, and I found this beat-up basketball over there in the grass. I thought, I may as well see if I can still shoot.

“I played sports in high school, basketball and football. It’s been a while, though. I’m 56. I didn’t think I could do it anymore. But I surprised myself. I’m moving parts that haven’t moved in years.

“I’ve got this little knee problem from years ago. I slipped and fell at work. I never did try to file or anything. I figured it would work itself out. But it’s catching up to me in my old age. That’s why I keep moving. That’s why I’m out here exercising. If I stop, it gets stiff. Then I can barely do anything. I’m about 50-50 with it. I could have been 75 and above without it. But I can handle it. I can maintain. It’s just part of life. You’ve got to go with the flow. I have to because I’m still working.

“I work in cooling towers at the plants. It’s definitely hard work. Especially at my age. Everybody asks me, ‘What are you doing still working at this?’ Hey, I need to work. I didn’t go to college. If you don’t go to college, you’ve got to go to work. That’s what I try to preach to my grandkids. Hey, go to school. But they don’t always want to listen. I guess they just have to learn that on their own.”

— Walter Gonzales