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.

November 4, 2019