At 58, I encountered illness with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. You notice I didn’t say I encountered “aging.”
For 15 years, it was a slippery slope of jogging less and less, tennis less and less, starting to use a cane, taking two walking sticks to Greece, a back collapse with scoliosis, keeping a walker permanently in the trunk of my car, always seeking the handicapped parking, and eventually installing hand controls in my Honda Civic.
At 71, I self-published 2 books of poetry (Musing Along the Way-republished in 2022) sharing my journey losing a life that I loved. The notion of “aging” was never mentioned in those volumes!
Neither my mother nor my father, active until the end, had modeled for me any concerns about “aging.” My goal had been to heal. WHOOPS! I had been “aging” under the guise of illness. My consciousness about my own aging was slow to come.
Little by little, friends have been dying. I’ve been losing my sense of taste. Then my hearing required aids. More recently I’ve noticed my memory faltering daily in small ways. Yesterday, however, my awareness surfaced in a not-so-small way. I had driven to physical therapy, and parked at the front door for my hour long appointment. When I returned to my car, I realized the keys were in the ignition and the car was still running. I was shocked.
So the next book that has been percolating for a while is now getting some serious attention. For the last 10 years, I will admit I have been Encountering Age little by little…Without a Map. As I enter this next stage of life, this time a bit more consciously, I’m now willing to try to make sense of my own encounters.
Yes, now 84, I am definitely aging. Actually I am unapologetically getting “old.”
And, there is still life to be lived.
Blessings to all on the journey.