[img]958|left|||no_popup[/img] Dateline Boston — How does it feel to get old? I assume you’re the same inside your head, but your body just changes. Or does something happen at certain ages to make you less carefree in your head than you were when you were younger? Well, I guess I know the answer to that. Life experience makes one more cautious.
When does middle age start? I ask my S.O. “Well,” he says, “the strict definition would he half of the life expectancy, which is roughly 72. For most people it’s more like 80…” So, okay, I can do that math. 40. “But…,” S.O. continues, “for a lot of people it’s 55, when you get your AARP card.”
I’m thinking about all this because, at the tender age of 43, I need to wear reading glasses. When I tell my female friends that I’m going through “the change”, they gasp, “No! You’re too young!” Calm down, ladies, not that change. Just the eyesight change. The eyesight thing is strange. I always knew this day would come. Since I’ve worn glasses for nearsightedness for 29 years, I figured that when it was time for reading glasses, I’d have perfect vision. My eyesight would even out, right? Turns out, not so much. I’m nearsighted, but now I have these magnifiers that are really annoying. I have to put them on, then lift them up when I’m not reading. But I’m at the beginning of this phase, not ready for progressive contacts yet.
Another thing about getting older is that you worry about stuff more, which makes you have back spasms or wake up in the middle of the night. And speaking of things waking you up in the middle of the night, I now get up every night to pee. Never did that in my twenties, even my thirties. Suddenly, I’m doing it in my forties. S.O. has done it since he was a kid. Hmm. Okay, maybe I do it now because now I take care of myself better than I did when I was younger. Better care equals more water. More water in equals more water out. Seems simple enough.
The most embarrassing thing that has happened to me as a result of getting older is that I have uttered the words, “When I was a kid…”, and it wasn’t in jest. I don’t mind getting older, probably because I’ve always looked younger than my age. Working with kids keeps me young. I’m still young in my head, and I have healthy habits. I don’t drink or smoke. I walk 10,000 steps a day. I drink a lot of water, and it shows. Round about 2 or 3 a.m. Thank God, I don’t need my reading glasses to sit on the throne.
Ms. Campbell may be contacted at snobbyblog@gmail.com
