Yesterday my girlfriend and I had lunch and then sat out on a bench in front of our local grocery store and chatted for half an hour more. The topic was physical ailments and covered sciatica, hip aches, lower back strength (lack of it), shoulder pains, etc. As we parted I laughed, "we're certifiably geezers now". We were having such a great time comparing and complaining. Someone could have blackmailed me easily with a tape of our conversation. How the mighty have fallen!
At least now comparison seems comforting. In the old days, this same friend and I would be doing low impact aeorbics in a gym and staring at our bodies in the mirror and wishing we were shorter, taller, leggier, curvier, thinner. Now we're in the boat together bobbing out to sea, and we're just grateful to still be in the boat and not in Davy Jones' locker.
When I was walking back from that encounter, another friend stopped in her car and I told her I was on my way to have some strange growth cut out of the inside of my cheek and she said her brother had had that done. I felt so relieved! It was just normal hideous aging thing, and I would survive. When the doctor later confirmed that, yes, it would have to be cut off, but no, it was no big deal, I was prepared for the happy news. Misery loves company, or at least a fellow traveler on the journey.
So, yes, we old people are ridiculous, but we embrace it, and our "stories" get us through the rough patches of aging, and give us a few laughs along the way.
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