Monday, September 25, 2006

Birthday Musings

Today I am 59 years old. I’m not squeamish about saying my age. I just can’t believe it came so soon! It has gone so fast! When I look at pictures of people in the paper, for instance, who are famous or infamous and are my age, I often wonder, “Do I look that old?”

My mom and dad were only 18 and 21 when I was born. Dad was in the Navy, stationed in Memphis. Mom was staying with her parents in Monticello, Minnesota until after the big event and I was born in the big city, Minneapolis, 50 miles away.

Dad hitch-hiked from Memphis to Monticello around the time I was due. Unfortunately, I was late and he had to report back to the base. Doubly unfortunate, he had been granted additional time by his superior, but he didn’t get the word in time. Fortunately, the superior was a really good guy and let him go back home when I finally arrived.

I have been thinking a lot these past few days about the things that have occurred in my body in the last few years – things I don’t feel old enough for yet. Here they are, in no logical order:

~~Brown spots on my hands. At least they’re not on my face! I saw this commercial last night for some product that’s supposed to make our faces look like we’re 20 again, fading all those brown spots.

~~“I’m sitting on the floor playing games with the grandkids, and I can’t get up!” When did the ability to pop right back up from the floor go away?Arthritis, possibly, well probably.

~~Loss of good vision – that goes on and on. I’ve worn contacts for 37 years. A few years ago I had to add reading glasses to the mix – over the contacts, with bifocals on the side. The power of the reading glasses increased every few months. Finally, I had at least 7 pairs of 1.75 reading glasses scattered all over my world – on top of the microwave, on the lamp table in the bedroom, in my den where I have devotions, in my purse, at work. Add to that reading sunglasses, regular sunglasses for driving, sunglasses to go over the bifocals (really ugly!), and it got to be just too much to keep up with. So I gave up on the vanity and dumped the contacts. Now I have a pair of bifocals and a pair of bifocal sunglasses.

~~More about vision – when I’m getting ready in the morning, I put my glasses on after applying my miniscule amount of make-up and combing my hair. Hmmm. I looked much better in the pre-glasses fog! And my shower looked much cleaner before I looked in there with my glasses on!

~~Loss of short-term memory. As you can tell by what I write, my memory of the “good old days” is pretty good. I just can’t remember my mom’s phone number when I go to call her. Or what I came downstairs for! Or the great word that I was going to say next – it’s just gone!

~~I make funny sounds in the night – according to my husband. I have to believe him – why would he make up such a disgusting story when he loves me so much?? I wake up numerous times during the night, so rest isn’t the best. Oh, the joys of the M word!

~~I’m tired! I enjoy my job, where I spend half of the work week. And I love my grandkids passionately, with whom I spend the other half. But there is a God-given reason that children are most often born to the young.

~~And then there’s the weight thing. It goes on much more easily than it comes off at this stage of the game. The more I think about it, there might be a connection here with the reason I’m tired and why I have a lack of energy. There is a definite correlation between how often I go to the gym and how I feel. I’m too tired to go, so I don’t. Then I feel worse. If I just get there, I feel so much better. What a conundrum. I absolutely refuse to resize my wedding ring!

NOW for the good news – I am the eldest of five siblings and I have the least gray hair!!

Have a wonderful week.

25 comments:

Diane Viere said...

Well! Let me be the first one to wish you a HAPPY, HAPPY Birthday! I have to do this right away---not just because I'm excited to say Happy Birthday--but mostly because if I wait--I'll forget! Short term memory aint' what it used to be! Ah--the joys of aging!

Seriously--you look marvelous! And don't worry about those age spots, the loss of vision, the weight dilemma (but you look fabulous!)......just adapt a profound philosopher's foundational statement......"I y'am what I y'am!" That would be the great and oh so wise philosopher...Popeye!

:) Diane

Pamela said...

H A P P Y H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y!
************D A W N*************

Wishing you the very best of b-day! :)

Enjoyed you post and reading about your birth. Very considerate of your Dad's boss to let him come see you after all that happened!

You can't fool us you are as young as you "feel" and in your case you "write".

That hubby of yours must be using the funny noises at night as a ploy to keep you. You are just to sweet to make funny noise.

As far as getting stuck on the floor well it is all in the technique, next time plop down next to something you can pull yourself up on, or tell everyone "I guess we are ordering in again"! Grandma's stuck! :) Have a great day!!! :)

someone else said...

Happy Birthday! That could have been a description of any and all of us. However, getting older is not for the faint-hearted, so we still rock!!

someone else said...

Mostly in the rocking chair.........

someone else said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Mall Worker said...

Happy Birthday! I hope you have a great day!

Ashley said...

happy birthday dawn!!

kpjara said...

Happy HAPPY Birthday! I hope it's full of wonderful future memories!

Enjoy and eat cake without worrying about ring sizing, or clothes!

Kristen said...

Happy Birthday, Mom!! You don't look a day over 40! Have a great day!

I posted a message for you over at my place! :-)

Karla said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! :)
Something tells me that you and I have already exchanged birthday wishes, but as I'm becoming more and more certain that I have ADD or something, let me just be sure that I've told you Happy Birthday.
:)
Oh, and did I tell you happy birthday? ;)

Karla said...

Oh yeah, and I say "exchange birthday pleasantries" because today is MY birthday too. Duh, Karla. :)

TJ said...

well now...it's your birthday and you get the birthday song...hmmmmmmmm....
Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday dear Dawn!!
Happy Birthday to You!!
...and many mooorrrrre!!
<(:-D)
Hey forget about the age/weight thing..just live it up for today girlfriend!!

Linda said...

Oh Dawn, I have experienced every one of those things (I'll by sixty in a couple of months). I used to kind of smirk when I heard older people say that they didn't feel any different inside. But it's so true. I don't feel any different on the inside than when I was sixteen - it's the outside that won't cooperate.
Happy Birthday!!!!

Anonymous said...

I turned 59 earlier this year. It has made me think about what I do with my time, and what I want to do, that I haven't. Over the weekend, my wife and I were driving back home on the NY Thruway after visting some colleges with our youngest son, who is now a Sr in HS. A car with Iowa plates passed us. I turned to my wife, and said "I'm 59 years old, and I've never been to Iowa!" She said "Hunh?" But, she's only 56.

Anonymous said...

Just over from Kristen's to wish you a happy birthday! Hope it is a good one!

Carole Burant said...

Awww darn it, Dawn, I didn't realize it was your birthday today or I'd have put a special little post on my blog about it (I do that with everyone's birthday that I know)...check tomorrow, I'll have something then:-) Anyway, Happy Birthday and I hope you had a terrific day. I'm going to be 49 next month and I just don't feel old enough to be so near 50!! Age is just a number, though, so enjoy:-) Hugs xox

Barb said...

Happy Birthday Dawn. These are the middle years. Enjoy them! I am. I earned it and you did, too. Hope you have many, many more.

Sherry said...

Happy Birthday!

Barb said...

Hi Dawn,

I'm stopping back by real quick to thank you for your remarks on my "get your blog act together" post. I'm not going anywhere. Just slowing things down as much as I can. I had to get it back into the right place in my life so I could HAVE a life. It feels better already. But I'm not going to lose touch with my friends. No way.

Grafted Branch said...

Ah! I missed it...Happy Birthday. I really enjoy reading what you have to say.

Hope it was a lovely day. Did you go to the gym? lol. ;)

rena said...

I missed it..boohoo....I hope that you had a wonderfully fabulous Birthday!! Enjoyed your musings on age. You forgot the part that you get more beautiful as you age..it's true!

Theresa said...

happy birthday Dawn. I have the same problems too, but the thing is aren't you just loving life more and more as you get older.....?

Anonymous said...

Hello Dawn ~ Just came over from Pea's blog to wish you a very happy birthday. I hope you had a great day.
I didn't much like the birthdays with zeros on the end. 50, 60, 70 and I am
now 72. Make the most of your year before you hit another zero. Cheers, Merle.

Unknown said...

Happy Birthday!
I'm 31 and already experiencing the can't move very well after sitting on the floor too long...not good!

Rhonda in Chile said...

Happy Belated Birthday! I have been using bloglines too much, and not leaving as many comments.

May this year bring the coming our our Lord!

R