Ageing

Me getting old?  Sure I’m adding up in years, but inside I don’t feel as old as my age tells me I am.

Oh yeah?  Be honest.

Well, sure, there’s aches and pains here and there.  I can’t walk as fast or as far as I could ten years ago.  I keep looking for a place to sit down when I have to stand for a short time.  Is that what you’re getting at?

Well that’s a good start.

Maybe we should set up certain guidelines.

Like what?

Well, maybe we should define “ageing”.

Aw!  Come off it.  Now you sound like Clinton.

No, really.  I’m not trying to weasel out of the fact I have gained in years, but can’t ageing be something more than how many times the Earth has traveled around the Sun?

Go on, what else can it be?

Well, how about how you feel intellectually?

OK, give me a “for instance”.

Well, my mind seems to be working as well today as ten years ago.

Oh sure.  How about when you go into another room and forget why you are there?  How about when you are introduced to someone, you immediately forget their name?  How about you can’t get the word out when you are trying to explain something?

Well sure.  I agree that those things are happening, but I still seem to be doing some things better than I used to.

So far you keep gabbing, but you don’t prove anything.

Well, I know I couldn’t write this about myself ten years ago.