I don’t remember, now. I do recall that baseline EKG conversation, but I don’t think that made me feel old. It was more when my body started hurting after doing things that had never bothered it before. Like when I couldn’t dive any more, because my heels hurt after doing a few dives. Not that that stopped me. No, it took nearly knocking my head in on the board while doing a gainer to stop me from doing that trick. This will be the first or second summer that I haven’t even attempted a flip.
I’m 56 now. I’m on all kinds of old age meds for blood pressure, and cholesterol. My ankles swell. My muscles won’t stay strong unless I exercise vigorously every day, and if I do exercise vigorously, I am sore as hell.
I have floaties in my eyes and my vision is permanently impaired. I have torn ligaments in my shoulder that can’t be fixed. My stamina if for shit and so is my strength. And if you ever meet me in real life, I will deny this.
But the biggest thing was when I was getting my hair cut one day a decade or so ago. I looked down, and the barber had put all these gray hairs on the drop cloth. Why did he do that, I asked?
He knew better than to answer.