Age creeps up, focus changes, and suddenly
The same ol’ tired feeling creeps in.
Only now, it’s not stalking but pouncing.
You throw your normal punches and fight back.
They don’t work as they once did.
Gotta try some new techniques.
How do you fix that issue when people disappear from your life?
When your schedule seems overwhelming, how do you correct the problem?
Those pounds you were proud of losing show up with their cousins.
Creaky joints are creaking louder, but the doctor says it’s not Uncle Arthur.
Entertainment is voyeuristic. Something happens “there” and not “here.”
You want to enjoy this later stage of life, but routine grounds you.
Before you write a line, you wonder if anyone cares but realize it doesn’t matter.
Familiar books are reread because new ones don’t make sense.
Must We Change?
We tried an old, but new to us, Mexican Restaurant yesterday. It’s just a dozen miles away, and we pass it frequently. The Old ’70s music brought smiles and hums. Even the wait staff were singing along. The menu was intriguing, with new names to new dishes along with the familiar fare.
Why haven’t we tried this before?
The search for something new is exciting, even though we don’t want too much change. Age-old habits dictate a certain fare and experience, but having it presented differently is nice.
My first experience with lettuce was in LaPorte, Texas, after church one Sunday. Suddenly, shredded lettuce on a crispy taco was acceptable. See! I can change while enjoying something old!
I’m still looking for the next best cup of coffee. There have been a few places through the years that have surprised me with a special flavor. Most of what we drink is just the normal fare. My son got me a subscription service here in the Pacific Northwest (Bean Box) that focuses on varietal beans by local roasters. Variety each month!
As we age, those we know and share familiar backgrounds face life’s uncertain challenges. It’s hard to be here when they are there, but you don’t want to relocate across the country – you’d be moving all the time to all the varied places you’ve lived. You cannot attend every memorial service, though you love remembering together and reconnecting.
I’m an admin for a Facebook group of my main growing-up years. You can never go back to the time that was your youth. That place has changed. Actually, though it doesn’t feel safe any longer due to all the changes, there are still people living there and raising families.
Let’s see, the places I cannot return to and expect them to be what I remember? Baytown, Pasadena, Deer Park, Seabrook, Channelview…and even ol’ Houston. Most of those years were without A/C… Just saying!
For a brief span of time, consider how the world has changed.
It’s inevitable. Change always happens. Sometimes good.
But other times? It’s not very good at all.
Change requires adaptation. That’s where you need to be good.
Change Always Happen
Nothing stays the same, at least for a little while.
Then, along with changing times, favorites fall out of vogue.
Malls are flattened, and the land is repurposed.
Even Astroworld was dismantled. The land was too valuable.
The King Dome opened in 1976—a year before my infamous trip to Alaska.
It was abandoned for better facilities and imploded in March of 2000.
Its largest crowd was not a sporting event or concert as the dome was intended.
Instead, a Billy Graham crusade with Johnny Cash in tow – 5,000 were turned away.
Up and down, back and forth, and circling the drain.
All movements reflect change. Change we must have.
Even a rut is changing as long as you keep on moving.
Maybe that’s the change we need. Just keep moving.
The most important to keep changing is me.
Don’t accept the status quo.
Keep learning, giving, and growing.
Stay in control, but have some fun.
Don’t let time be wasted.
Make room for new friends.
Thank you for reading.
Please share with others.
It helps me get my book written!