55 But Who's Counting?

Yesterday I went to a doctor who specializes in bone loss. Seems I have an 8% bone loss in my spine and 7% in my hips. This I discovered after my "bone density test" which was done on the same day I had my most recent mammogram, which required an order from my gynecologist which I got when I went for my most recent close encounter with the stirrups for the purpose of my annual pap smear. I'M A WALKING CLICHE`! Bone loss, pre-diabetes, hot flashes and aching joints. And yet, I don't feel like I have any problems. At 55, I actually feel pretty young. Am I in denial, or do I just have a really good attitude about aging?

I mean, what can you do? You got two options: either you get older or you die young. I know what I would choose, if I had a choice.

And yet there are otherwise intelligent people out there claiming with a straight face that "aging is a disease, like any other." This just kills me. I even heard one bright chap take it a step further and claim that DEATH is a disease. Oh man. Beam me up, Scottie, what planet am I on? Maybe life itself is a disease. How about that? Maybe we should just try and cure life. Oh my goodness, I think I've stumbled onto something. Oh it's nothing new really, in fact the recent success of the book and video project "The Secret" has garnered a huge following of hopeful people who want to believe the premise that the universe is a big catalog: just put in your order and you get it. You think I'm exaggerating? It actually says that. So apparently there are people, and I guess lots of people, who believe that the "universe" can cure life. Hmm. Without writing another whole book arguing the point, which I think would be easy to do, I will simply say this: "The universe" did not create itself. Therefore it has no creative or curative powers of its own. However, God did create the universe and everything in it, so yes, He can cure your life.

But I digress.

Back to my aging body. Although I don't want to become one of those senior citizens who dwells on her ills, and in fact always SWORE I wouldn't, sometimes I just can't help myself. Especially when in the company of other women my age. We compare notes because it's still new to us. "How many times do you have to get up and pee during the night?" "When did you first start wearing reading glasses?" "Have you got a good dermatologist? I think I have a suspicious spot on my nose." On it goes. You don't mean to, it just happens. But it's okay. It's just life, and I don't know to what extent I want to "cure" it. Aging also means maturing and thank God for that. Aches and pains and forced exercise routines help develop patience and discipline. Days that are relatively free of joint pain and hot flashes feel like reasons to celebrate. A slowed pace generates an eye for details formerly unnoticed in the rush of things. Now don't think I'm perverted, but just today my husband and I witnessed two little lizards mating outside our lanai. Nature in action. How many twenty-somethings can say they've seen that? Huh? So even though I do use a special cream in a tiny little tub that's supposed to decrease those laugh lines, and I do dye my hair, the whole aging thing just doesn't seem like such a big tragedy. Okay, I'm lucky because people tell me I don't look my age. But see, there's another advantage to getting older - your wits get a little dull and you start believing the load of bull people tell you. All good.

So anyway, I guess that's all for now because I forgot what I was going to say.