I Think I Might Be Getting Older

I don’t know if you know this about me, but lately, I’ve been aging.

It was subtle, in the beginning.

My dentist, for example. I stare up at him, his fingers and a number of sharp and Gothic-looking instruments in my mouth. What is he, 12? Sixteen? Did this guy drive to the office? Is that legal?

Weren’t dentists supposed to be old? Haven't dentists always been old?

And then came the day that I realized that my son is now older than I was when I gave birth to him.

Where did the time go?

But what can you do? Hey, you can moisturize all you like, but getting older is not just about wrinkling...

So I sat down the other day, in the spirit of openness and acceptance (and perhaps just a touch of fatalism), and started a list of things that aren’t so bad about aging.

(Clears throat)

And now, a small list of things that aren’t so bad about aging.

* A wee bit of memory loss. Would you believe that I spent the first three months of this year believing that I was a full year older than I actually am? This came to light only after I had a doctor’s appointment and she compared this year to my birth year and how old I had told her I was… Awkward…

On a related note, I’ve decided, going forward, that I will claim to be at least ten years older than I really am. That way, when I claim to be, say, 57, everyone will exclaim, “Well, honey, you could pass for ten years younger!”

* I’m getting comfortable with going to bed by 10:00. There I am, a nice hot bath, a good book – think of the money I’m saving! Hey! I’m not slowing down! I’m being economical!

* I no longer stay anywhere any longer than I want to. That’s a big one, don’t you think? Back in the day, it was possible for me to stay much longer than I really wanted to, whether it was a job, a relationship, a party. I didn’t know how to say I was leaving. It took years, but here's the secret. When you're ready to go, hold up a hand, smile big for the nice people and proclaim, “Hey! I’m leaving!”

There’s more that I’m sure I’ll spring on you some other time – I’ve got a Venn diagram of possible situations as they relate to my age on a wall in my bedroom - but this is another thing I’ve learned:

Leave ‘em wanting more.

Happy Saturday, everyone!