They say that 40 is the new 30. How do I get in on that deal?
Why is it that since I turned 40, I feel 40?
This isn’t supposed to happen to me.
It would be very easy to blab on and on about the unfortunate down side of middle-age, but no worries. I’m not going there.
I’ve been thinking lately about the latter part of the phrase “Old and Wise”. I think part of gaining wisdom in age is simply the process of learning and coming to terms with who I am, exactly how God made me, what I’m particularly good at, and what I’m not-so-good at. And then (here’s the hard part) allowing myself to be absolutely fine with all of these things.
There is no doubt in my mind that many people never get to “feeling fine” about these things.
At 41, I’m really beginning to enjoy the peace that comes with “feeling fine” about some of the things I’m not-so-good at. For example:
- For whatever reason, I can’t spell the word “exercise”. And when I try to spell the word “specialty”, every single time I add an “i” near the end making it “speciality“. I think this latter defect has something to do with a fetish for Wallace and Grommit (“Windows are our speciality!” — did anyone get that?)
- For the life of me, I cannot easily open anything with a wrapper. Seriously. If it has a wrapper on it, don’t ask me to open it.
- If someone gives me a sticker, I either stick it on something immediately or hold on to it for years until I eventually do stick it somewhere. I have stickers people gave me 6 years ago and I can’t throw them away.
- Everything about my manhood does not want to tap my toe to The Dixie Chicks, but I must tap my toe and like pretty much anything The Dixie Chicks have ever recorded. (Note: Just like adding Hanson to my Top Musical Finds post, I realize I may lose friends over admitting to this …. and I’m ok with that too … you losers!)
- It’s becoming more and more possible every day that when I walk into a room to get something, once there I’ll have no idea what I’m there for. It’s getting so bad that sometimes when I finally remember and return to the room, I’ll do it again!
- I have to be careful not to shun people who put anything into a cup of black coffee. The good and evil battle in my head….”It’s ok if they like it that way”……”No! It’s just not right!”……”At least they are drinking coffee”……..”Blasphemy!”……Etc.
- For as good as I’ve become at Manic Multitasking Mode, which I do every day, I don’t know when to stop. No wonder I’m constantly “mind tired” and haven’t had a quality night of sleep in the last 15 years. I truly believe that the female brain is hard wired to support Manic Multitasking Mode. See what’s wrong with this picture?
- I’ve never been good at conforming to anyone or anything. This has been a major hurdle in my social and spiritual life.
A few of these things are quirky, simple things that few people would stress or be uptight about. But, I’ve still enjoyed getting old enough to be ok with them. And I’ll never sit in therapy over my unexplained affection for stickers.
Of course there are other, more substantive things like #8 above that I realize I certainly should not laugh off. These are the tougher things to come to terms with and I hope to make some strides this year on figuring out if I really want to make the effort to change them.
