Aging? So what?

I am what I am, and that's all that I am - Popeye

I am 54 years old. I do not lie about my age ever with the absurd hope that some young sweet thing will believe it. I can not imagine meeting a great woman who is a younger (not creepy old man hitting on a high school girl younger) and telling her I was 44, or whatever. Then we connect only having to let her know that one of the first things I did was lie to her, with justification. It is kind that people say I look and act younger than I am however that is usually a case of people being nice and trying not to hurt my feelings for being older. I know some people really struggle with aging and I may have at one time but now I really do not give a shit. Popeye said it clearly and it is weird that something that lucid from a cartoon character can resonate with me but who cares.

Helen Miran said it best when she was asked what she would tell her younger self. "I would use the words 'Fuck off ' more. Helen I hear ya baby!

So why the talk about aging? I was putting on a shirt today and as I pulled my left arm through the sleeve I felt a twinge and a bit of a sharp pain. I literally hurt my shoulder putting on my shirt.
Full Disclosure: 4 years ago I tore the rotator cuffs in both my shoulders while zip lining in Costa Rica, the left one a bit worse than the right. I could not raise my arms above shoulder height, touch my fingers behind my back and had various other limitations. I was not going to have the recommended surgery and opted for various Chiropractic, Physiotherapy and laser treatments. It took 2 years but the body healed itself, as it will. Today's shirt episode was just a reminder that although "healed" I was just getting older and it was worth a giggle. I have had hip and lower back issues since I was in my early 20s so pain management is in my DNA because I do NOT take prescription medication. For those who know and see how I tend to walk like a gorilla, well there you go, no pain.

Why this topic. I honestly believe that aging, like having lots of money, breeds caution. Our comfort zone increases, are big wall of excuses is built higher every day and our fears become rationalized so we keep the routine and live in "someday". I think it also justifies our need to complain about anything because we stopped challenging ourselves a long time ago.

"The average person dies when they are 25, but is not buried until they are 75"

My take on this quote...
A man dies when his hope dies.
At the age of 25 most people  have built up a negative ideology about the world and life.
And their hope, ambitions and dreams die.
Those people begin to just exist.
But the age of 75 their body dies and hence they are buried.

What happened to me today?

I woke up today and hurt my shoulder putting on my shirt which got me angry. The pain was real, I felt it and got really pissed off because I am sick of pain management. 

I woke up today and hurt my shoulder putting on my shirt which got me angry. Then I remembered my friend who is over 60 days into his Stem Cell therapy for Leukemia.

I woke up today and hurt my shoulder putting on my shirt which got me angry. Then I remembered an Uncle who lived a life of real sickness but never complained once.

I woke up today and hurt my shoulder putting on my shirt which got me angry. Then I remembered my best friend in the world who has battled through 2 cancers and never faltered teaching me what real strength and courage are.

I woke up today and hurt my shoulder putting on my shirt which got me angry. Then I remembered any variety of news stories from war and famine ravaged areas of the world.

I woke up today and hurt my shoulder putting on my shirt which got me angry. Then I remembered the great people I have in my life.

I woke up today and hurt my shoulder putting on my shirt which got me angry. Then remembered the journey that I am currently on and it put everything clearly into perspective. Living in Mexico setting the course for the next leg of my journey.

I woke up today and hurt my shoulder putting on my shirt then suddenly realizing it was the greatest feeling in the world.

The glasses are not rose colored but I can see clearly through them. Well as clear as bad old eyes with a strong prescription can see through them. Remember aging is like shit, it happens.