This morning I looked down at
my hands. Quite frankly the pair
of macabre claws that sat before
me were shocking. They seemed
to be those of an older gent not
the dew kissed young lad that
I think of myself as. Obviously
the ravages of too much sun on
my albino WASP skin lay there
in fully glory. Proof that whether
one calls them liver or age spots,
an ocelot like pattern atop your
mitts ain't pretty. Ban the soleil!
So often the things that one innocently
did in the glory of youth come back to
haunt you later in life. After years of
baking like bacon on the beach my
endangered epidermis must now be
frequently scraped by a dermatologist.
While I rationally know there's little to
no benefit to worshipping the sun, I've
resisted sun screen. I'd rather lather on
the tanning oil. I was once known to
say it was better to die young but tan.
But who knew I would live and look
ancient?! Talk about being burned...
What goes around comes around may
be fine for those I don't like. However
when it happens to me it's certainly not
a pleasant experience. With years comes
wisdom along with the occasional odd
encounter with remembrances of things
past. As I've become somewhat doughy
in stature, the last thing I want to come
across is a former beau who is still buff.
A blast from the past can often just be
a reminder that your "fresh until" date
is long past due. Much like milk, I may
have soured as I ate too many cookies.
When not reminded of the ravages
of time, I'm quite content with how
I look. Time and gravity may have
taken their toll. However I still think
that I clean up fairly well for an old
guy. Part of maturity is being able
to not worry about one's looks. My
comfort zone is well groomed but
not plucked or puffed. Somewhere
along the way I slowly evolved into
what my community calls a "bear".
Now rather than fight Father Time,
I've become "DADDY"!
At this point many of you may be over
reading my macabre musings on aging.
If so, I apologize. While some prefer
to be delusional, I'm doing my best to
handle maturation like a grownup. As
with most things in life, getting older is
all about balance. My humble opinion
is that the benefits far outweigh any/all
liabilities. While I may not like how my
skin looks, I've never felt better in it.
Having had my time in the sun, I plan
to enjoy the balance of my sunset days
in the shade. Early bird special anyone?