Growing old and falling apart
By By Renee Shadden
I know everyone will think I'm crazy when I say this, but I'm old. At 30, I'm old and falling apart.
My cousin and I made this joint discovery when we met for lunch the other day.
She just recently turned 29 and she was talking about her medical problems.
Her feet swell, her skin is dry and she's always tired.
Well, my skin is always broken out. I thought after your early 20's, you were beyond the acne stage-wrong.
Also, I'm getting more spider veins in my legs everyday. My late grandmother had problems with veins in her legs, but she was in her 60's.
I'm only 30.
What's up with that?
To add insult to injury, I've never been thin, but it's now becoming increasingly more difficult to lose the 20 pounds I need to lose to be considered a "normal" weight.
My biggest problem there is that I like to eat and by the time I come home from a long stressful day at the office, I'm too tired to do much else.
I exercise, but I don't have the energy to put much into it like I used to.
I thought that people had to be at least a lot older than me before they started feeling the signs of age-wrong again.
I don't know what has changed in our society, but I remember when I was a little kid, the adults were youthful and active and young-looking well into their 40's. My family still looks young, so where did I go wrong?
Did I mention the gray hair?
I remember my Mom thinking it was cute when she discovered my first gray hair. I think I was 12 or 14.
I think she even saved it in an envelope. Why would anyone want a reminder of that?
Well it's not so cute now.
I have more gray hairs than I can count. When it gets so bad I want to cry I know it's time to visit the beauty shop.
I do have an excuse for this tragedy-heredity. The people on my Mom's side of the family gray prematurely, not that it makes me feel any better.
My Dad's side of the family doesn't have this problem. They are eternally youthful, so naturally I don't take after that side of the family.
My Dad's side of the family doesn't struggle with weight or height issues. Hello-again, why God?
Why couldn't I get some of the good qualities from each side of the family instead of all the bad ones?
My sister is thin and has a clear complexion. She does, however, struggle with gray hair.
I'm still not sure if that makes us even.
I guess there is a reason why some of us are young in old age and some of us are old in young age.
I just haven't figured it out yet.
If anyone has any answers, I'm listening.
