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Am I Old?
“What I have learned so far about aging, despite the creakiness of one’s bones and cragginess of one’s once-silken skin, is this: DO IT. By all means, DO IT!” Maya Angelou
Have you ever had a younger (MUCH younger) person ask you how you feel about your age? In other words, “How do you feel about being old?” I have to tell you I was taken aback by the question. The voice in my head doesn’t feel any older than I did in my 30’s or 40’s.
But now I’m 30-plus years past THAT. That is the kind of question that keeps me up at night. How DO I feel about being older? And why does that even matter? My body certainly betrays me regularly. Any movement to sit or stand is accompanied by sound effects from joints and exclamations of pain from past surgeries, artificial joints, and muscle soreness!
Furthermore, I look like your average lawn gnome. All I lack is a red felt pointy hat, and I’m your man! But after pondering the question my only conclusion is that the privilege of reaching “my age” is a gift I didn’t expect and probably didn’t deserve!
I rank among the lucky in the world. I have a warm and comfortable home. (Granted, she is 165 years old, but she will last as long as I need her to!) I have food in my kitchen. I have a choice of several vehicles to drive, each for a specific purpose. I have clothes I like and shoes that are good for any weather.
