Getting Older

I am sure I will get little sympathy from those of you that are older than myself, but I think I have started down that downward path known as getting older.  By this time next year, I will be well into my 40th year on this planet.  Which makes me think of a line from the movie, "On Golden Pond".   Dabney Coleman's character asks Henry Fonda's character, "So, how does it feel to turn 80?", and without skipping a beat, Henry Fonda says, "Twice as bad as turning 40!"  I have waited nearly 30 years to start to understand how bad it feels to turn 40 just so I could get some perspective on what Fonda was getting at.  To be honest though, it really isn't that bad, or at least not as bad as I perceived it would be back when I thought 40 was ancient.  I certainly don't feel that bad.  Sure, I have started to collect prescription vial like I used to collect baseball cards, but all in all, I don't feel that bad (Sounds like I am trying to convince myself, doesn't it?)

Granted, I have had four shoulder surgeries, my neck is suffering the effects of whiplash from a car accident and from football collisions, my cholesterol is high, my blood pressure is high, and I could drop a good 30 pounds and it would be considered a good start.  However, I don't think that I have started to play the part of the "old fart" as of yet.  I still know how to have fun (as long as it includes a nap before and/or after said fun), and I still have the same immature sense of humor I always have.  Partly, I think that is why many younger people like me or at least tolerate me.  I can joke around and have fun with them.  Plus, there is an advantage to having an overnight job.  They usually run out of gas before I do, so then they figure the "old guy" is a party animal...even if I do have to sleep for an entire day to recover from trying to party like a rockstar. 

That being said, I believe I have started to not be able to identify with the "cool" younger folks.  I have started to sound like my parents sounded when I was young and cool.  For instance, I don't get music today.  To me, it all is pretty dreadful and for the most part all sounds exactly the same.  Sure, I can tell the difference between Daughtry and Gym Class Heros, but to me one sounds about as unoriginal as the other.  Which is precisely what my parents used to say about the music I listened to back in the 80's.  They used to belittle the cover songs that ended up being popular in the 80's and 90's.  Well guess what, I do the same thing today when it comes to the songs of my youth being covered.  As an example, Miley Cyrus has been covering 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' on her current tour.  I am sorry, but, NO!  To me this is sacrilege.  She may as well be up there wiping her butt with an American flag in front of a bunch of NRA members.  You DO NOT cover a song from a band like Nirvana unless you can just rip it up and make it your own.  Needless to say, Miley didn't do that by any stretch of the imagination. 

I think the worst thing, by far, about getting older is watching people you have known your whole life make really bad decisions and it ruins their life on many levels.  It's a very helpless feeling.  Then in the same vein is watching people that you thought were old when you were a kid actually turn old.  I've lost both of my grandfathers to death.  Growing up, though I thought they were old, they were always very active and vibrant.  To watch them slowly fade away was difficult. 

Of course, getting older has it's advantages.  When you talk, people will actually listen to what you have to say.  You know how to do things on your own, like build a garage or fix an electrical outlet, both without being severely injured.  You can go to your mechanic and tell them exactly what you need done on your car without having to try to explain the weird noise it was making by demonstrating those noises for them.  You finally have enough connections that you can get Husker tickets to virtually any game you would like to see. 

Hopefully there are things coming as I continue down the other side of the hill that will make getting old a pleasant surprise.  I never imagined I would be this old, but now that I AM this old, I may as well embrace it and enjoy the ride down the long and winding road.