I found an old journal of mine earlier this week, and I've been reading through it ever since. One of the entries was a bucket list of sorts, full of things I wanted to do "before I was old." I didn't list a specific age, but based on the words I used, I think I was considering anything past 25 to be old. Seeing as how I am now 25 years and 9 days of age, I must be old. And right now, I feel like it too.
Friday was one of the best days I've had at work. We have some county maintenance workers who fit the stereotype of "lazy" government workers, and they had been doing an extremely good job of avoiding all the work we had lined up for them at the health department. The last straw was when they came in, did one small portion of a large job with startling inaccuracy and then had the gall to leave and tell us, "they'd be back next week sometime." So, being the impatient and sometimes "driven to action by anger" person that I am, I told my boss that I would bring my tools and WE could finish the to-do list.
So that's what we did Friday. We worked all day installing stadiometers, correcting some VERY uneven pictures, hanging supply bins, etc. By the end of the day, we had a great sense of accomplishment and rejoiced in our success. But I felt my age yesterday when my muscles, overworked from constant stooping and bending, protested with each and every movement. And it wasn't just my muscles- every joint in my body was cracking with each step. Sigh.
I felt old again today when I was greeting at church. Person after person smiled, shook hands, and greeted each other warmly. Then came the teenagers. Granted, a lot of them were returning from back-to-back weeks of mission trips, serving at camps, and attending their own camp and were worn out, but their vacant stares and unresponsiveness started driving me crazy. In my mind I was thinking, "Someone's talking to you, respond!" and "Make eye contact!" Other random thoughts were, "Stand up straight and don't slouch," and "I'm thinking you could have found a better outfit than a hoodie." What's happening to me?!
I went shopping after church, and my first stop was TSC. I was behind a long line of people at the checkout, and like I normally do when I'm bored in a checkout line, I "spied" on the other people's items. I wasn't the only person with bird seed, borax, washing soda, and fels naptha soap, but I was the only person under 50 buying these items.
The final straw is probably going to be tonight, when I go to bed at 10:00, after I have set out my clothes for work, packed my lunch, and put black beans in the crock pot for tomorrow's dinner. I'd say something's got to give and I need to change, but let's be real for a moment: I secretly love my "oldness." And to all you people older than me who are reading this: I can feel your eye rolls from here.
So as we sit here, once again awaiting the beginning of a new work week, I must go and pretend to have some enthusiasm for completing my to-do list. See? I even have lists.
No comments:
Post a Comment