HOW DO I KNOW MY YOUTH IS ALL SPENT?

How do I know my youth has been spent,
My get-up-and-go, got up and went.
But in spite of all that, I'm able to grin,
When I think where my get-up-and-go has been.

Old age is golden, so I've heard said,
But sometimes I wonder as I get into bed.
My ears in a drawer, my teeth in a cup,
My eyes on a table until I wake up.

When I was young my slippers were red,
I could kick up my heels right over my head.
When I grew older my slippers were blue,
But still I could dance the whole night thru.

Now that I am old my slippers are black,
I huff to the corner and puff my way back.
The reason I know my youth is all spent,
My get-up-and-go has got up and went.

I get up each morning dust off my wits,
Pick up the paper and read the orbits.
If I’m not there, I know I'm not dead,
So I eat a good breakfast and go back to bed.
- Anonymous (yet Knowing)

I aged today. I have now entered my “late forties”. In two years I will enter my early fifties (where I will remain for the ensuing six years). I still hop out of bed in the morning with all the glee and verve I displayed as a 20 year old. A pretty girl still catches my eye even if I don’t catch her’s. The stirrings of youth are still pretty vibrant. It’s still too soon for my mid-life crisis. I know this because I’m not tooling around town on a shiny new Harley Davidson.

My left eye is a +6.5 and my right eye is a +7.0 AND I almost constantly wear a pair of +1.5 Wal-Mart cheaters. When not wearing the contacts and cheaters I don bifocals and spend my day trying to figure out the correct tilt of my head. Extra light is extreemly appreciated!

I know more today that I did when I was 20. I even remember most of it when I need or want to. There are however things I participated in as a 20 year old that I will not participate in now. I know they’re either illegal or my system won’t rebound like it used to. The fear of jail or a of a force-ten, full-body hangover has developed with age. That’s not a bad thing.

I thank all my good friends who sent snail-mail or e-mail felicitations. All were greatly enjoyed and appreciated. I’m lookin’ forward to seein’ what the next 40+ years hold in store.