Who? Me? When I was ten my mother was reading magazine advice for women on how to “grow old gracefully”. You may remember that she vowed absolute refusal to participate in the plan. It never occurred to me that I would someday be forced to ponder my late-life fate. I don’t know about you, but for me death was never a seriously considered fact of life. More so, even physical and mental results of natural aging were not fully acknowledged. That was then. Now is now.
At age 85, I seem to walk with ability and talk with facility that apparently still impress some; but, truth known, I know better. In theatrical circles, the cry is, “The show must go on.” Well, let me tell you, “The show is getting more and more difficult to perform.”
Excuse me, but I promised to finish sorting and filing CDs scattered on the floor of my office so they can be put where they belong. — Time passing — After another revealing learning experience, I’m back in a more familiar position, at my desk. It seems that sitting, squatting and sprawling on the floor are no longer doable comfortably. Mark that up to a misspent youth. Note to young self……..
MORE ACTIVITY INVOLVING MUSCLE RESISTANCE
Seems to me that’s what I was told at Prime Life in Carmel and L.A. Fitness as well.
MORE ACTIVITY INVOLVING MUSCLE RESISTANCE
The loss of physicality seems acceptable as a natural part of aging. My self image was never that of a body builder. Truth known, neither was my public image. The mental part is personally more difficult to rationalize. A few months ago in Missing Word, I reported passing a gerontologist’s cognizance test with élan. Seems I fooled ‘em again.
With no pressure old Walter sailing through the pronunciation of a list of arcane words with alternate pronunciations for some, apparently made an impression. Remember, young Walter looked forward to the day when words would replace muscles in my relationship with the civilized world.
With stress however, mental acuity is replaced by confusion and surprise that only exacerbates pressure and produces what feels like static and produces a feeling of heat, briefly blurring vision.
Is it possible that the once young man is now an old man. Who? Me?
Walter Walter, I love these and appreciate your efforts to fix out so that I relieve them. I too am getting old and am paying the fiddler.
Thank you “old” friend.
And you certainly did “dance”.