Oye Como Va? Very Well, Thank You.

Last Monday night, I, along with more than 9,000 of my fellow music-lovers (more than half of which appeared to me to be older adults), had the pleasure of seeing Santana live in concert at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre, just outside of Denver.

For those of you who have not been to Red Rocks before, the first thing you need to know is that making the trek to your seats is not for the faint of heart—or of legs, for that matter—and I mean that quite literally.

In fact, it requires concert goers to hike up as many as TWENTY flights of stairs—AT ALTITUDE—depending on where they are sitting. Trust me, if you’re somewhat out of shape like I am right now, that is no easy feat.

And, as has been the case on many summer evenings this year, those concert goers had to make that hike in the middle of a driving rainstorm, because concerts at Red Rocks go on rain or shine. Period. (As many times as I’ve been there, only once has it NOT rained . . . )

Long story short, just getting into the place is a test of fortitude, endurance, and stamina—at least for me.

That said, on Monday night, it was well worth it, as Carlos and his amazing band (most of whom were also older adults) played for two hours with virtually no breaks—again, at altitude—and nary a sip of water.

Carlos Santana is 79. While many older adults lose some of their dexterity due to arthritis, age-related wear-and-tear, and other conditions, his fingers seemed to be as nimble as they were when he first played at Woodstock, often traversing up and down the neck of his guitar at breakneck speed. Never missing a note. Never missing a beat.

His many percussionists—also older adults—drove the rhythm of the entire evening non-stop from start to finish. Their speed, agility, coordination, and virtuosity simply took my breath away.

The same can be said for his bass player, guitarist, and keyboard player (all of whom are ALSO older adults). Their skill. Their talent. Their energy. Absolutely unbelievable.

Rounding out the group were his lead singers and a second keyboard player—the “youngsters” of the group (they’re all in their 40’s!). Again, awesome performers one and all—possessing talent that was simply BEYOND.

And the JOY they exhibited throughout the concert was not only visible—it was PALPABLE. You could see how much fun they were having, not just playing their various parts, but playing their parts TOGETHER. In hindsight it seemed like more than a concert—it seemed like a celebration. A celebration that everyone in that amphitheatre was thrilled to be a part of.

All-in-all it was a most memorable evening—and worth the achy legs I still have two days later.

More than that, it was a reminder that defining people by their age—no matter how old they are—is not only ageist, it does everyone involved a tremendous disservice.

Carlos Santana and his bandmates aren’t the only older adults who love what they do—and, as a result, are killing it when they’re doing it.

Thousands upon thousands of older adults across the country and around the world—lawyers, teachers, artists, tradespeople, public servants, you name it—are similarly excelling at work right now because they, too, love what they do.

That is why allowing ourselves to be defined by our age—either by others, or worse, by our own selves—limits our ability to be everything we can and should and want to be.

Several years ago when I was running a small nonprofit called Boomers Leading Change in Health that trained older adults to help underserved populations connect to healthcare resources, I used to tell people that the only “rocking” we would be doing would be at a concert and NOT in a chair on our front porches.

Monday night’s show at Red Rocks not only serves as a testament to that declaration, but as a powerful reminder that though we may be in our 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and beyond, WE’RE NOT DONE YET.

In fact, many of us are JUST GETTING STARTED . . .