As I am now officially middle age by a few years...

[Javaman]

various milestones of achievement, failure and, what I like to call, coming to grips with reality have entered and exited in my life.

Today was one that both entered and exited in the category of:coming to grips with reality.

I won't bore with the details because most of these reality type checks are usually very personal. And personal on an emotional level.

I'm not the young man I once was. My mind is not as sharp, my body not nearly as bullet proof and my ambition just doesn't commit to things like it did when I first fell in love with film (that's a big hint as to what happened LOL)

I remember a time when I was 16 and running cross country in high school. I was having a bad season. I was on varsity and felt I was a hindrance to the team and asked the coach to move me back down to JV. It was humbling and I did it for the betterment of the team. There were JV runners having a much better season than I was. My coach nodded and gave me a knowing smile. At the time, I didn't understand that smile other than it being understanding, but upon reflection, I knew then that there was more behind it, what that it was, I didn't know until today.

That "It" was knowing ones limitations.

Humbling as life is, humbling oneself is, to me, is the ultimate reflection of who we are.

In this case, I am moving to the "JV" of life and passing the torch onto someone who is younger and can use the opportunity to better their situation.

Life is so incredibly short. That is a much over used phrase, but honestly as I get older, I have come to truly understand what that means. I value this world so much. I value the time that I get to spend on it. I value those around me.

One day it will all be gone to me.

I hope sincerely that whatever wreckage I leave in my wake, it will be something that others will at least use to push the ball forward so those after me will understand the folly and beauty of our existence. And take to heart just how incredibly temporary we are.

Smile more. Smile often.
Javaman.

[pipi_k]

1. Middle age

is so bittersweet, and we don't realize it until we're there.

Your post made me smile, and it hurt my heart at the same time.

[Populist_Prole]

2. Try not to overthink it

So many today so much more healthy and relatively hip for their age, much more so than a few decades ago: Looking better, feeling better, and still basically like they always were excepting some spurious aches & pains and less sharp eyesight.

Pardon the cliche, but it really is all in the mind. I've known people who seemed to become de-facto middle age in their early 30's. I've known, and still know all too many that just seemed to become unabashed cranky curmudgeons in their early 40's. They want to throw in the towel, let them. You don't have to.