PROBLEMS WITH GETTING OLD

Aside from all the creaks and cracks and groans and aches and pains that come with getting older, it seems that everyday I discover a new problem with getting old. Now, I fancy myself to be a very positive person, so when these things start to irritate me I ask myself if they irritate me because they should, or if they irritate because I'm getting old.  I feel like I've hit the, "If the music is too loud, you're too old!" age bracket!  I'll give you some examples and you can decide for yourself!

• Now that I'm older, I realize that while I couldn't wait for my kids to be out of the house, I now want them home more often.  Too bad they have lives of their own and don't really want to be at mom's house.Why do you suppose it just doesn't dawn on them to plan a visit to mom's if it's not a holiday? Hmmm, when they needed me, I was so busy and now that I'm not busy, they don't need me.  Rats!
• Now that I'm older I still love the same foods I did in years past, but the portions are insane!  I love turkey legs and have found them off the bird in my grocery, but in a package of 3.  Really? Have you ever seen a turkey with 3 legs?  And where's the fourth one?  Put that one in a package all by itself for those who only need one. And loaves of bread - they're huge! I like bread when it's soft and fresh, but by the time I get halfway through a loaf, it's neither!  Why not sell 1/2 sized loaves?
• Now that I'm older and finally have the resources to do the things around the house I love to do, like paint and add tile and plant shrubs and flowers, I no longer have the strength in my hands, arms and legs to do it!  Sure I could hire someone to do it, but that's no fun!  Where's the satisfaction in doing that? So I start things and get as far as I'm able and then have to wait a week or so to recover from the aches and pains, only to go at it again to try to finish and bring on the aches and pains again!
• Now that I'm older and think about having a companion in my life, there's no place to meet one!  Bars - nope, not for me.  Clubs - are you kidding?  Online - been there, done that.  And really, I just want someone to talk with, have dinner with, see a movie - I don't want someone to move in and it's way too late in the game for that marriage thing! Where are all those good looking, self-assured, financially sound upper 50-something men hiding?
• Now that I'm older why is it that experience doesn't count for anything? When I was younger that's who was respected - someone with experience.  Now that I have experience all I hear is younger image, younger thinking, younger ideas, younger this and younger that.  What happened here?
• Now that I'm older I seem to wonder a lot more.  Things like:  I wonder if smokers these days know  they stink and no amount of cologne or tic-tacs can hide it.  I wonder why people think it's hilarious to point out the flaws in their mate, marriage, children, friends etc in the form of a joke. Do they think because someone laughs, it doesn't hurt someone's feelings?  I wonder why the only people who wear biker's shorts and spandex are absolutely the ones who shouldn't be wearing them.  Do they not own a mirror? I wonder when foul language became the norm and not the exception. The "f-bomb" used to cause gasps, blushing, and apologies - today it's no big deal, 12 year olds let it fly.  See!?  I'm getting old!
• Now that I'm older and can afford to save for retirement, retirement ain't gonna ever happen because I don't have enough working years left to put away what I need to maintain my lifestyle.  My mortgage has way more years left on it than I do - that's just not fair! My father had it right when he maintained that our pay schedules are backward - we should make the most money when we are young and have greater financial needs and should reduce as we get older and don't have children at home to support.  He was brilliant!

See ... everyday I discover problems with getting older, but what can I do? I'm going to get older - the alternative would make my children rich and I'm just not ready to do that.   So, I try to find the balance and remember that if I wasn't getting older I wouldn't have my sons, I wouldn't have my grandson, I wouldn't have a career I love, I wouldn't have friends to support me and I wouldn't have time to ponder these things!  I think I need a Truffle ...