There was a time when I could knock out a blog post in around twenty minutes. It wasn’t necessarily profound, but it was 250 words and it did have some sort of structure. It seems to take longer these days, but everything does, doesn’t it?
A Bear in a Tree
Even getting a tie on is a bit of a performance these days, as I recently found out when I attended both a wedding and a funeral in recent weeks. I hadn’t worn a tie for years. Like riding a bicycle, the basics do not desert you. At least, I believe they don’t. I’ve not checked to see if I’ve forgotten to ride a bike, I’m just assuming you never forget because everybody says so. If I ever find myself on a bike again, I will report back.
The knotting bit is fine. In fact it seemed easier than it used to be. It was the folding down of the collar that proved tricky. My shoulders are not what they used to be and after putting my collar up and tying the tie, I seem to lose the ability to use my arms in a raised position, a combination of stiff joints and tiredness. Yes. my shoulders get tired after a couple of minutes of tying a tie. They keep that one as a surprise. You never think of shoulders wearing out until you start using sticks. It is very frustrating, and one of those things nobody tells you about getting old.
Hair loss yes, grumbling, yes, aches and pains and a vague feeling that things used to be better, yes. But the inability to hold your arms up to put a tie on? When did that happen?
Paddington Bear at St Paul’s
Talking of which, I got stuck trying to put my trousers on last week. I know that socks and trousers get steadily less easy, and am resigned to sitting on the bed to attend to such things, but I didn’t realise that they actually started to actively resist as you got older. The second one seems to be worse. I can usually get one leg in without too much problem, but the second always seems to be at a more difficult angle. Maybe it’s the design of modern trousers, or the Russians/Chinese (they always seemed to get the blame in the 60s, and that seems to be coming back). Maybe it’s just the design of my legs. But it’s definitely a problem of old age that nobody warned me about.
I could write an entire series about this, but I won’t. My older readers already know all about it, and my younger readers won’t believe me.
Time to go to the doctor now. I’m on weekly visits at the moment with one thing and another. It’s nice to be looked after, but it does tend to mess the day up. At least I won’t have to worry about the clutch now. However, I have no doubt another worry is just around the corner.
Straw Bale Bowie Bear
Yes, pictures are of bears again.
The one constant in life is change, and change we do as we age. I know you will wake up and do the best you can every day. Keep writing!
Today I got up, after a bad night, felt ill after having a fan blow on me all night, typed a bit, fell asleep, went back to bed . . .
Sometimes my “best” isn’t very good.
That doesn’t matter. Just making the effort for whaever one can muster is enough.
That will do for me. never give up!
I can still manage getting trousers on without too much trouble, but a pair of socks is a whole different matter. I may soon have to go sockless. This aging business is grim, isn’t it.
Grim indeed. I knew it would be, but had not been expecting to be this decrepit for another ten or fifteen years. Then, one morning, I noticed the ring finger on my right hand had deviated from being straight. Now I have arthritis in joints I had to look up on Wikipedia. 🙁
Fortunately I still have good shoulders because I can’t get out of a chair without exercising them – on a bad day that is not so easy. I turn to sandals during the summer months to avoid putting socks on
After examining the mechanics of the situation I have added a cushion and developed a way of shifting my weight which helps me out of the chair. I may get myself something to raise the chair too – as I seem to remember you doing recently.
Yes. Those raising blocks are very useful
I’m giving them some thought. Julia wants to buy me an electric chair. I assume she means the sort that raises you gently, rather than the American prison model.
Maybe Julia has plans for you 🙂 I resist any help I can do without on the basis that if you don’t use it you lose it.
Good philosophy. I initially resisted a bungalow for the same reason, but there was the added factor of falling down the stairs, so I gave in.
Understood. We resisted a bungalow for the same reason.
You seem to have resisted more successfully. 🙂
With stair rails each side
A welcome addition to any set of stairs these days. 🙂
The biggest problem about ageing, apart from problematic shoulders, is worrying whether your body is going to hold out longer than your mind. That is a very alarming prospect not only for you but for your nearest and dearest too.
I am thinking of solving many of my problems at a stroke – a folding wheelchair will provide mobility, transport and, eventually, what business managers refer to as my “exit strategy”.
An exit strategy is a good idea,
I was once told that my greatest achievement in managing a junior rugby club was that when I stopped, you couldn’t tell the difference. I think it was meant as a compliment on my exit strategy. 🙂
Socks? Yes it’s a bit worrying, and I wonder how I’m going to do it in a few years. Maybe it’ll just be open toe crocks and stay home from October to April 😂
From what I remember of your legs in that ill-advised bath picture you published a few years ago, you will probably have enough spare hair to grow a pelt.
😂😂
I love those bears, especially the one in the tree. As a longtime worrier, I can assure you that another worry is always around the corner. But onward ho! We might have to sit on the bed to put on our trousers— or pants as we call them here—but at least we can still put them on. 😉
This is true Laurie. While I worry I still have hope and breath. 🙂
This made me smile. Yes, yes.
Producing a smile on a reader’s face is always worthwhile. Unless it’s the fixed grin that I produce on the faces of some editors . . .
have you noticed the “on this day” notices? my blog used to be much better. I wonder what that means