Absolutely Perfect

Growing up I would sometimes see older men and look on aging as almost as an example of a lack of character.  Older people could not do what I could physically, their bodies did not look as good and their clothes did not fit as well.  Older men had pot bellies and seemed to have surrendered to the fact that their butt would often be hanging out. I looked down on them, and knew I would never be like them. 

Life is cruel.

I say this because now I am a middle aged man. Even with the long years that have past,  it all happened instantaneously. I feels like I am now driving a classic Corvette that a really dumb kid used to own. (Some would say that it is a classic Gremlin, but let’s go with Corvette). Every day I am not quite sure what will be working. And now I have to be aware that my own butt crack is often seeking the freedom to express itself. There is nothing like sitting in a restaurant and suddenly realizing that the dining room had been given an unexpected show.

One day I made the mistake of being honest about having had to undo the top button of my pants when sitting down. I knew that I had reached a turning point later when my wife had set a pair of slacks she had bought for me on the bed. Sometimes she does nice things like that. She will be out somewhere, and buy a piece of clothing, It’s nice. I picked up the pants, tried them on, and to my horror realized that they had a stretch waistband. Relaxed fit. This sort of thing let’s you know where you are in the world. 

Of course this is all expressed with the joy of laughing at one’s self and what it means to age. Aging is no joke, and as we all know that it is challenging to say the least. It is painful, and often can carry disillusionment. However, I realize now that my life, even with all of the challenges of aging, even though I would have been horrified to see what I now look like naked, I know this is the best period of my life. I know that I am more ready to step up than ever before. I know that I and we can make a difference, and know that I can shine and live form my deepest values. I am absolutely perfect, and so are you I experience myself as ageless even as I grow older. And I also now know the joy of relaxed fit slacks.