This is a difficult letter to write, Mark Morford

[madokie]

Of course it will never happen to you. Until it does
By Mark Morford

Stiff joints. Inexplicable pain. Kidney stones. Increased squinting at the tiny type on the bottle of lubricant. Crow's feet. Too many gray follicular protrusions. Acute increase in recovery time required following three glasses of wine, a Martini and perhaps some rather aerobic sexual escapades the night before. Heavier sighing.

Oh yes, also: dramatic upswing in complexity of personal relationships, loves, emotional entanglements involving baggage and exes and cash flow and who's going to sacrifice what for the sake of a future you're not even sure is the best way to proceed because no one ever told you it would be like this.

Sound familiar? If not, trust me: it will. Because all of these worldly delights fall under one category; let's call them the "unexpected expected" things, those sticky 'n' wicked life happenstances where you get to say, "You know, I never thought this would happen to me, not like this, even though I knew it might happen, eventually. It all used to seem so far off, so comfortably distant, and now, well, here it all is. What the hell."

Easy enough, right? Just life, just the way it unfolds, same as it ever was. ...

(click here to read the rest)

(Full URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2009/09/23/notes092309.DTL&nl=fix)

[tabatha]

1. On the nose.

And Palin complains about the government help.

[Winterblues]

2. Getting old is not for the meek

:shrug:

[madokie]

3. I'm loving getting older

[Mari333]

5. thank you. me too.

getting old is fun.

[saracat]

4. And this is why the proposed HCR is not "enough"!

[phantom power]

6. I *would* like my previous body back. Circa 1996.

And a pony.

[madokie]

8. We have a mule that comes often to visit

so he says but I think its only so he can eat our grass. I'll give him to ya' if that'll work but be forewarned he'll shit in your yard. OTOH about the body I have no suggestions

[phantom power]

9. Tempting, but the Tempe zoning board would take exception.

I might possibly restore some of my youthful stamina if I tried something crazy like exercising. In my copious free time.

One time a local Tempe horse owner drove to our neighborhood Wildflower bakery in a horse and cart. It was very entertaining, and also possibly a vision of the future. I keep hoping we'll see them again some time.

[ensho]

7. being old and looking in mirrors - always a shock because

you expect to see yourself but all that is there is an old, wrinkled person.

[Heidi]

10. "Heavier sighing."

I've been exhibiting this symptom. :rofl: