Getting old

Some profound truths seem so simple, yet make themselves known when we least expect it.

I was mulling things over the other day, and realized that I'm 40 years old.

I know, obvious, right?

Maybe I was treating my age as an abstract number, or I was in denial. But I realized that I no longer feel like a 20 year old because I'm no longer 20 years old! I suffer normal aches and wear of a typical male experiencing his fourth decade; I'm also burdened with extra discomfort on account of my genes, but that's the way life goes.

Realizing that I'll probably never again feel as spry or energetic (or pain free) as I did 20 years ago was sobering and produced a twinge of melancholy. At the same time, I knew that accepting the fact that I'm getting older is a necessary step in order to appreciate the second half of my life to its fullest (being positive, of course ).

In truth, we all are as young (or old) as we feel, and age is an arbitrary number. How we deal with aging is a personal choice, part of the interesting reality of being alive.