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Oldtimers.com

I truly hate to admit this, but my husband and I are getting old. Older than dirt. Sometimes it’s kind of ‘cute’ in its way. Sometimes, definitely not.

It’s easier to notice aging when I look at my husband than when looking at myself, I find. He rails because everything costs more every time we purchase, whether it’s remembering the last time we ordered something vs this time, or buying our lunches every once in a while at the deli. Inflation is a large part of it, of course, but part of it is remembering what it USED to cost – and the amount we got for the money back in the day – vs the smaller size of the packages now and the tripling, or worse, of the price.

We BOTH notice how quickly we tire now vs only a few years ago. Yesterday we finished taking care of the front yard, with me weed whacking and my husband using the leaf blower to blow the leaves off the rock bed across the front plus the grass off the sidewalk. This ‘half-bent-over-our-arms-held- out-at-whatever-angle-needed-to-do-the-work’ gets to our backs in short order these days. “I” (reasonably intelligent woman that I am) am adjusting, doing short sessions and then resting and drinking lots of water in-between sessions. My husband tries to ‘finish’ the job before he comes in, ending up totally exhausted, needing my help with cold cloths, water, and help to his chair. We’ve discussed this, but my husband continues to live with the illusion he’s still in his 20s, in the Marines, and ready to leap tall buildings at a single bound….

I notice HIS lack of patience these days, and HE notices MINE. This results in some harsh words, hurt feelings, and lots of apologies and hugs. Luckily (or UNluckily, however you choose to look at it) we’re addicted to each other and make things right with each other as soon as we can, realizing that this is something harder to adjust to than others.

We are ‘noisier’ these days, sounding like “Rice Krispies” as we snap, crackle, and pop our way out of our chairs, getting down onto or up off of the floor, etc. This is accompanied by stiffness, which makes us look funny when we first get up and start walking, but eases as we move.

The only other thing I’ll list today is having to CONCENTRATE in order to –

• get whatever it is done before we’re distracted
• remember why we got up and went to another room
• NOT get distracted and fall because we start down the steps, but think of something else and try to stop and do the other thing

Getting older has plenty of enjoyable things, funny things, and things others might envy. I’ll CONCENTRATE and see if I can come up with a list for you soon. :0)