Trading Places

November 4, 2019 (186 words)

When I was younger and in my prime, encounters with older guys who were starting to go to seed and turn a bit feeble all went pretty much the same way. They didn’t warrant much attention from me one way or the other, beyond my registering how they seemed a beat slow.

This never took the form of outright ridicule, mind you, and probably never advanced beyond a mild, silent disparagement on my part.

Now that I am older and have started to lose my balance, mispronounce words, miss turns while driving, and have a hard time following conversations, I look upon the young men who cross my path and see them in a whole new light. I do not envy them their youth, though.

I’m grateful to have had mine, and for the part it played in my development. But I’m just as glad to have moved on to a different stage of life. While my physical prowess may be at an all-time low, my ability to think and reason and see the big picture has never been better.

I’ll take that trade any time.

Robert J. Cavanaugh, Jr.
November 4, 2019