Sharon, there are several responses to this. First, you nailed one of the big issues as we age, which can be that our egos tell us that this can't be me, and I am in terrible denial. That's one way we can cripple ourselves. My mentor, a dear friend for 33 years, didn't like having to use a cane. She fell, broke a hip and died in the hospital within weeks. So there's a big part of me that hears that issue. The other, and this is also tied to the ego, is that we all too often have an overinflated notion of what we're capable of, which has no basis in reality. That's a whole article. But the third, which I'd like to add here, is that in every way, shape and form you and I and every aging person can also do the serious, life-affirming work not only to maintain strength but also to build it at any age. As an adventure athlete at 69, I am well aware of what I am facing, as well as what it takes to deal with age's inevitabilities. However, some of those so-called "inevitiabilities" happen because we fail to take strength training, balance work, proper eating and a great deal more into account. Eyesight and hearing do indeed change, the inner ear changes and can create balance issues. AND you and I can do a great deal of solid work to make sure that if we do start to fall, we have both the reflexes AND the strength to grab a bannister or the wall mounted bars (I have them in my house from a previous owner) to prevent injury. There is much we can mitigate. However to your point, in this particular sense, ego is no friend. It can get us killed. In my business, having an overinflated ego about what I can do in the wild most assuredly can get me killed fast. To your point, however, believing you can crawl onto a roof at eighty without having done all the work to make sure you can is a sure way to end things rather rapidly. Good reminders, all.