Happy Birthday America! 250 years old and you look great! I wonder if you’re considered a senior county now?
I’m definitely a senior, but I don’t have your charm or your stamina. When I was young, I thought aging would arrive gradually.
Instead, it showed up one morning like an uninvited relative with all kinds of baggage. Then it announced, “I’m staying!”
The first clue was when I began making noises every time I stood up. Nobody warns you about this.
As a child, I could leap off a couch, run outside, and climb a tree without making a sound. Well… that’s a lie. I’ve never climbed a tree in my life.
I wasn’t, and still am not, athletically inclined. However, I could fly up a staircase and float down in record time without gasping for breath.
Now, the simple act of standing up requires a series of grunts and several deep breaths to get me started. Then I have to give it a minute to uncrick my bones before I walk away!
Nowadays my body is a fascinating collection of surprises. My knees can actually predict rain. My back doesn’t predict anything, but it hurts more often than not.
And get this, I can injure myself sleeping. Sleeping! The one activity I’ve mastered over the years is now a high-risk sport.
I wake up with aches and pains I didn’t have yesterday! Who would have thunk it?
My memory also betrays me every day. I forget what I’m doing in the middle of doing it! Not to mention wondering why I walked into a room.
Sometimes I stay awhile, admire the decor and try to figure out what happened, but now I mostly just pick up something at random and return to where I started, hoping it will all make sense later. Yeah, right! That’s not gonna happen
Technology hasn’t helped either. Everything requires a password nowadays. You know the drill… a capital letter, a lower-case letter, a symbol, a number etc. etc. etc.
I started writing the passwords down in a book, but I felt I had to hide the book in case some bad actors were trying to invade my privacy. I can’t remember where I hid the book anymore so now I use ‘Dianne1234567890’ for everything.
Write that down if you want, I don’t have anything valuable to protect and it seems no one is anxious to invade my privacy anymore! Besides, if you’re like me, you’ll forget where you left the slip of paper you wrote on.
Shopping has changed too. I no longer buy clothing as a fashion statement. I buy things with elastic waistbands and wear flat shoes.
No more 3-inch heels! Comfort counts, plus I don’t want to fall off my platforms and break something.
Yet aging has its advantages. I don’t often worry what people think anymore, and most importantly, I’ve learned that perfection is overrated.
Aging is not for the faint of heart, but it certainly outshines the alternative! So don’t beat yourself up if your joints creak and you can’t remember what day it is. Ask Alexia or Google or Siri!
Happy happy everyone! Life’s a daily adventure. Enjoy!
