The process of aging, or, as time flies by!








I find the process of aging to be quite interesting, and even amusing at times. I don't think I noticed aging at all until I was well into middle age. Then, the results of aging become inescapable and very noticeable. I could no longer see as well, play as well, concentrate as well, sleep as well, etc. Really, I could not do anything as well! That is a shock, but it only gets worse with age, so you learn to adapt. Glasses help, but do not solve the probem of seeing well. Actually, none of the "fixes" get us back where we were; only better than without the "fix".





There are lots of fixes available today. Knee and hip joint replacement is among several fixes my friends have tried, and most with pleasing results. The joints simply wear out, and the pain reaches a point that joint replacement is a great relief. There was a time when the heart wore out and we just died. Now we have valve replacement, bypass surgery, and other techniques for the heart and other vital organs that extend life expectancy much farther than it was just a few years ago.





Of course, quality of life issues arise as we extend life expectancy. No one wants to simply live longer. We want to live a good quality of life for a longer period. Therein lies the rub, as they say. Marion and I visited several elderly friends at the nursing home recently, and as we were leaving we both agreed that a quick heart attack would be a blessing when we got that old!






It is interesting to reflect on get-togethers with friends today as opposed to a few years ago. We used to talk about what was going on in the world. Now we spend a lot of time talking about what is going on with us. Whereas before we rarely mentioned our little aches and pains, but rather were focused mostly on things external to ourselves; now we talk a lot about our various ailments; the symptoms and attempted cures, or the planned surgeries and already completed surgeries. Some are very conversant in medical language and terminology, exotic technical terms, the many and varied drugs, and of course, all the inside information on all of them. I did not learn much biology in school, and know very little today. Perhaps that is a blessing. Ignorance is bliss in this case. I know so little I don't worry much at all about medical matters.




All of this "aging thing" is really quite comical to me--at times. When we travel any distance and make a rest stop (read pee break. That, too, is one of the issues--many stops!) and I get out of the car, I can hardly walk, and cannot stand fully erect. I waddle along with an arched back like Tim Conway did long ago on the Carol Burnett show! At the time, I thought he was hilarious. I had no idea he was mocking me in a future time. I suppose it is just part of the aging process. I remember, as a child, overhearing my mother talk with her friends about their various ailments, and I found it amusing. Now I find it amusing in myself! Life is really a cycle that repeats itself with each generation. Get ready, you young folks!







I have tried to resist these trends, of course. Perhaps not nearly as hard as I should resist, however, as it seems to have had little effect. We are each on a path that moves relentlessly to its conclusion. It seems no amount of resisting really make much difference. A friend gave us a framed "saying" that has a lot of truth in it, "Old Age is Not for Sissies!" One of my dear friends, who I played football with in high school and briefly in college, had to miss our last high school class reunion. He played a full four years of college football, and his knees reflect the wear and tear. He had recently undergone hernia surgery as well as knee replacement surgery. He was further handicapped by his other knee, which was extremely painful, and he is awaiting surgery to replace it. He simply could not handle the travel and walking required to attend our reunion. We had a significant number of our surviving classsmates who could not attend the reunion for health reasons. Such is old age.







I am starting to sound morose. I will try to shift gears. I said growing old was amusing at times. Most of the jokes we tell at our get-togethers are around the subject of aging, and its effects. Some are hilarious, and we laugh harder at them than most other people probably would, as they ring so true for us! When we were planning our upcoming reunion, and deciding to meet more frequently, one classmate was pressing the point of urgency as classmates were dying at an increasing rate. He said "hey, at our age, we shouldn't even buy green bananas!" Well, it's not quite that bad, but we did decide to meet every year. We can see the writing on the wall. My son-in-law's dad sent me a very funny video today. It is a guy singing a song about memory loss and its impact on our lives. We laugh because the situations he describes are common to us all.

Of course aging has it's positive side as well. We no longer sweat the small things nearly as much. We get more philosophical with age, and simply realize that swatting at windmills is futile. That helps us survive political seasons, economic cycles, and even bad football seasons. Bad politicians come and go, their bad policies are soon replaced with other bad policies, all sports teams move in cycles, so we enjoy the upside--six in a row!--and roll with the down side. The economy runs in cycles and we are now heading toward ( or into) a downturn, but we know (well, expect, at least) it will eventually become an upturn, so just hang in there. Bottom line: As someone wisely observed about the aging process, it generally beats the alternative!

I should close by noting that the Good Lord knew aging would be tough, so he gave us grandchildren as a balm and comfort to ease the pain. Nothing can ease the pain of aching joints like getting on the floor and playing with a grandbaby. Nothing can rejuvenate a tired spirit so well as the sweet smile and soft voice of someone saying "I love you, PawPaw!"