Old People Problems

While not yet a "potbelly" my midsection has grown more convex over the past few years. This is a new development for me and one that I am not taking very well. Descriptors of my body as a child/teen/twenty-something included gangly, scrawny, lean, skinny, and a host of other adjectives generally used for inanimate objects such as microphone stands, saplings, and broomsticks. The gradual change in my appearance has been cause for consternation as my favorite foods are all now attached to the phrase "everything in moderation". Alas, my youthful metabolism is gone.

Remember those booklets or videos from middle school titled something like "My Changing Body?" Maybe I should write or produce a follow-up series titled "My Aging Body." I guarantee there is a market for something like that.

For me, aging would be so much easier to handle if we got to take on all of these things in one fell swoop. We would just wake up one day and be old and simply have to learn to deal with our new reality. Instead I watch my body slowly lose both form and function. My hair isn't gone but its going. My  metabolism isn't gone but its going. My physical stamina for exercise isn't gone but its going. You get the idea.

These changes coupled with a few others (that need not be described here) have left me wondering when the things that I always thought were 'old people problems' became my problems. Since when did pick-up basketball need 3 days of recovery? And why do trips to the barber need to require the line "take it easy on top?"

Needless to say I plan to take on this aging thing with as little grace and dignity as possible. Time and age have this heartless way of moving on without consulting us and so I plan to continue living my life without consulting my aging body.

Truth be told, I have had very few moments in life where I have looked at my past and wished I could go back. Even as outward appearances begin their downward slide I can happily report that the Lord has worked some more positive changes in me as well. More time spent looking inward rather than outward would be good for all of us and it certainly has been for me. Growth in character, deeper and richer relationships, the joys of parenting, and a more intimate walk with God are all products of time and age that are of inestimable value.

Seeing more of these things inwardly working in my life makes growing older a thing of beauty. In reality I'm not yet old enough to really have any gripes about old age and instead I should be counting the ways God continues to bless me. It really is a joy to watch God's continued faithfulness in my life. Young or old I'd encourage you to take inventory of the ways your life has grown richer and more meaningful through the years. You can't go back in time so you might as well go forward with a good attitude.