The Party

It is so much fun writing about personal health issues, because of necessity, one must inject a lot of humour into the story. I feel so inspired to write after I have had a medical procedure done to my aged and deteriorating body. I will have some stories soon, but for now I would like to write about a very fun party we attended on the weekend. Sadly, this too is about aging.

In the last few months Lis and I have reconnected with some friends from our teen years. Yes, that was back when Dinosaurs roamed the earth. We had a great time well into the evening over coffee and dessert, and then did not hear from them until we received an invitation to his 60th birthday party. Lis and I both knew the families well and were looking forward to seeing some old familiar faces. Well, we certainly did that. There was a band, lots of food, and no end to visiting and catching up with everyone. During a short lull in the proceedings, I suddenly had an overwhelming feeling that I was having an 'out of body' experience. I looked all about in what seemed like slow motion and what I saw was a glimpse of the past when we were all young again. And in that state, I was able to peer into the future and see all sorts of strange things. Of course that 'future' was the present but strangely enough, I was seeing it from my youth. I almost felt like I did not belong. What had I missed in the last 40 years? How did these dear people all get so old looking and why are they all surrounded by their adult children and several small grandchildren each? When was this time machine invented where we step into our lives and without our knowledge someone pushes a few buttons and the next thing we know 40 years are gone? Why does that person look so fresh and young in spite of the years, and that other one look like death is around the corner?
It frightened me to think that the others were probably looking at me the same way. To make matters worse, I was limping along with my sore hip, just as an old man should. My only consolation was that I was able to hide behind my beautiful and youthful wife, just when my feelings of inadequacy were peaking. And just like the old fart I am, I talked my party loving wife into a discreet exit before the rowdy part of the evening got under way. Fortunately there were more that sixty people there and it was an outdoor event so nobody heard the door slam or anything like that.
Now my friend, the poor birthday boy, is bemoaning the fact that he is sixty and his life is over. Hey, for me, that is 'old' hat. My life kind of ended then too.