Getting Old(er)

Turning 40 didn't really bother me. However as 44 looms just a mere fifty-one days away, I'm starting to feel....old(er). I'm reminded daily of just how much older I am getting.

Physically my body is changing shape. What used to be sort of a Pepsi-Cola bottle shape (you know.....with a waist and hips) is morphing into the shape of a large bottle of liquid Tide. What used to be a stray whisker on the chin has now become the beginnings of a full blown Van Dyke. The only thing saving me from wrinkles is the fact that my round face has gotten rounder in recent years, thus stretching out the skin where the wrinkles should be. Chins have grown upon chins. Sun spots have appeared. Bumps have grown.

But the physical aspect of aging isn't the only thing troubling me. I am losing my ability to quickly recall information like names and dates. I'm not sure, but I think this is called memory loss. I call my children the wrong names (oh wait, I've done that their wholes lives!), I forget friend's names when introducing them to someone else and I can no longer remember relevant numbers. It's the non-relevant numbers I have no problems with. I can still remember my phone number from when my family lived in Shongaloo, Louisiana.....in 1973. I can remember the zip code for Crossett, Arkansas. I haven't lived there since 1978. But can I remember my home number for the house I currently live in? No! Or my own cell phone number? Nope, it's listed as "this phone" in the contact list on my phone. (BTW, my husband puts me to shame......he has memorized the passport numbers of all 6 members of our family. *sigh*)

Another thing is I'm losing the ability to watch a movie in one sitting without falling asleep. I'm becoming my mother!!! For years, I gave my mom a hard time because she would fall asleep during every movie we ever watched. Now my words are coming back to haunt me. And my kids nudge me to keep me awake until the end. Sometimes they give up and just let me sleep. They know I need my beauty sleep.

I wear inserts in my shoes to deal with the pain associated with plantar fasciitis. The number of wiry white hairs on my head are slowly outnumbering the smooth, shiny brown ones. I squint (although the opthamologist told me last year I really don't need glasses yet.....but I will soon, she assured me).

And the last thing that really bothers me is that bedtime has become my favorite time of day. I used to be a night-owl. I could complete projects at night, watch a movie in its entirety. Now I look forward to brushing my teeth, putting on my "soft clothes" and laying my head on my pillow.

I do try to comfort myself with the fact that there are many things that I still have going for me:

I have really good texting skills

I'm a pretty good cook

I can still remember the lyrics to almost all the songs I knew in high school

I can still catch quarters off my elbows

I can still throw a spiral

I still have all my own eyelashes

I still have all my own teeth

I remember the names of all my elementary school teachers

I can still remember my S.S. number

I remember the names of all the boys Kecia liked in college

I can still remember the ingredients of a Big Mac........"two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun"

Just don't ask me for my phone number.