Aging

Sam's birthday is coming up and I like to tell him he is facing the leap into middle aged-ness. Although lately, we've both discovered some serious signs that youth is fleeting and that time remorselessly marches on. Someone once said, "old age is fearsome to the young." Me. I said that. Just now.

Example A:

We went to a carnival a few weeks ago. One of those traveling kind where part of the fun is that you suspect the rides will fall apart at any second and probably did a few years ago and the deaths that ensued were quickly hushed up, the carnival changed its name, and that guy running the ferris wheel grew a beard to disguise his identity. Anyway, Sam and I rode the Zipper. You sit in a cage built for two that spins head over heels while all the cages travel in a big fast oval. Ok, so, I rode this at a carnival two years back and had no problems. Thought it was great. This time, it started spinning and I hated every second. I was going to puke, it made my head hurt, and all my energy was focused toward keeping my body from exploding into a million pieces. Later that evening, Sam offered to get us some funnel cakes and due to the fact that I was still feeling nauseated, I said no. To funnel cakes.

Example B:

We went to the skating rink last night for a ward party. We had every intention of skating after eating the provided hot dogs. However, it appeared that most of the adults were content to sit and chat over their Sprites while letting their children take care of the skating part. Sam and I looked at each other in confusion. Were we not supposed to skate? Was there an age limit? We decided to skate anyway but we were in company with very few adults. And, it took a long time to get steady on the skates. Longer than I care to remember. And when I say steady, I really mean that we made it around the rink but slowly and shakily.

Example C:

We've been teaching Primary the last few months, which is a perfectly normal and acceptable calling for a young married couple. Emphasis on young. Yes, but last Sunday Sam was called to be in the Elders' Quorum presidency instead. In a family ward! That is a mature calling if I ever heard one.

You see? How can we not be aware of our own aging? As someone else once said, "Old age comes on suddenly, and not gradually as is thought." That one was Emily Dickinson, in case you thought I only quoted myself.