Soon, I’ll no longer be middle aged. In just a few (probably) short years I’ll have joined the ranks of those who can get senior rates at restaurants, hotels and banks.
I suppose that’s a good thing. After all, who doesn’t want a discount. But then it makes me wonder about the future and are my best years behind me? I don’t think so. In my mind I’m still young. Maybe, not 13 year old young, but surely not someone in their fifties either.
I try to keep up with the latest trends, but now a days, comfort and utility seem more important than style and what’s new. I find myself waiting for version 2 as the newest inevitable requires improvements to make it really worthwhile.
Increasingly, I find the generation before too stuffy and narrow minded and the generation after too timid and reliant. It seems I do better with two generations removed. But, increasingly I notice those generations seem to tolerate and humour me. They call me sir or Mr. Van Dieman. The older ones, I suppose because that’s how they were brought up and the younger ones seem to be saying, “there’s a gap between me and you”.
I have the latest iPad Air 2, but drive a 12 year old car. I find I watch tv less and spend a lot more time on the Internet. I can’t remember the last time I wrote a letter (business letters not withstanding), but send hundreds of emails every week. I communicate more through Facebook than the phone or anything else. It seems my thoughts and comments are restricted to short sentences, comments or likes. For some reason, I like watching cat videos on my feed.
I suppose some smart person out there has figured me out and others like me since I notice increasingly targeted ads appear in my inbox. The system doesn’t seem to be perfected though. I don’t know how they figure it out, but after I buy something I see ads coming my way for the product. These computers need to be smarter. What they need to do is show me ads for stuff that go with my product. I guess that will come with version 2.
When I look at pictures of my friends from high school or college all I see are old people. They talk about cancer, heart attacks and stroke and they have grey hair. I feel sorry for them. What happened? Then I neglect to shave for a few days and find that same grey has found its way into my beard. I’m no better than them. Somehow, when I look at myself I still see someone that could be in their 30s. Others see someone much older.
I must say my life has gotten easier. I used to worry about money and now I just let it worry about itself. I can’t be bothered. When I was younger I think this attitude would have served me better. Age brings perspective, I suppose.
Lately, I’ve been making improvements. The new me. I got laser surgery and now I can see quite well without glasses. I still need reading glasses though. They say, they don’t have anything of laser correction for that. It’s ok. I’m easy like that now. I lost 125 pounds (Andrea, my wife lost 100) and now I work out at a gym. Not because I want to be like Arnold, but more because I just want to be healthier. I eat better and drink more water. I used to hate salad, now I look forward to a good head of lettuce.
Clearly, something has happened to me over the years.
I used to argue with my wife, now I rarely do. I suppose I’ve figured out (or perhaps she’s finally made me realize) that I’m not always right. It amuses me to see those who have such fixed opinions – as if they’re the only ones with a monopoly of the truth. I’m also amazed at those those that haven’t figured out yet they’re not.