I ran into two friends while I was walking the dogs this morning. We joked about aging, which was kicked off when one friend asked about a growth on the elbow of one of my dogs. Somehow we got onto leggings and how we don't wear them out anywhere, because we haven't the bodies or the nerve. I admitted I tried harder these days to look well groomed, as a distraction perhaps to the wrinkles, gray hair and general lumpiness. This was a good talk, though it would have sounded trivial to an eavesdropper, because the subject of aging is ever before our eyes, especially in the mirror, but walking, interacting with strangers, and negotiating our retired lives. We want to help out with our grandchildren, but we recognize our slow reaction time, easy fatigue and other limitations. So the joking keeps us understanding we are all in the same boat, and it's just as well to have a sense of humor about it.
As my physician says, "Welcome to old age". What's the harm in whining a bit or grumping with friends? It lets off steam. Because we have challenges these days, and as someone else said, "Old age is not for sissies". We have to gut up and face pain, uncertainty, deterioration of knees and hips, strange growths on our skin, surgeries, medicines; a host of experiences that range from not pleasant to terrifying. But, after all, the alternative is worse!
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