I Don't Work There No More

Many of us endeavor to play at the games that brought us joy (and pain) as younger men. Mark plays basketball. I play soccer. Dave wears visors. Danimal swims, bikes, and runs. Increasingly, our bodies send us signals that question the wisdom of such efforts. I sprained my ankle badly enough playing soccer last November that it still hurt in February, for example.

I recently set a personal fitness goal, putting a stake in the ground and saying that I plan to be playing soccer when I turn 60. Ambitious, perhaps, but even if I'm successful, I've got nothing on Ryuichi Nagayama.

The 86 year-old Nagayama is a physician in Tokyo. More relevant to our topic today, he also plays lock for the Fuwaka Rugby Club, which is comprised of players aged 40 and above. Fuwaka RC was founded in 1948, and is one of about 150 clubs in Japan that field over-40 squads.

“You tackle and battle each other, but the gathering after the play is so enjoyable and fun,” says Nagayama, who knows his way around a rugby party, and according to legend, fucks up 'I Used to Work in Chicago' on purpose so he can shoot the boot for kicks. (Pun not intended, but it made me giggle so I left it in.)



As I type these words, I know for a near certainty that Whitney and Mr. KQ are feeling an itch that they can't quite explain. In Whitney's case, there's medication for that.

Here's to Dr. Nagayama and to never really growing up.