The Changing Landscape

This morning I was getting ready for work, as I do 5 days a week, for now.  After I had my shower, I dried off and went to the bathroom counter for the usual round of teeth brushing, shaving and hair combing.

Being Friday, I thought I’d spiff myself up better than I usually do, when I realized something.  I’m quickly becoming unspiffable.

As I approach 60, it’s becoming more and more difficult to keep up with things that are adversely happening to my appearance.  And it’s becoming depressingly apparent, that there are some things I’m just not going to be able to keep up with.

Like brown spots.  They started about 20 years ago.  At first they were just on my arms, and then they started moving to my wrists …then to the backs of my hands.  One day I woke up and there was one on my forehead.  A quantum leap.  And it can only get worse.

Like hair.  Hair suddenly showing up missing from where you want it … only to reappear somewhere you don’t.  In my case, missing from the back of my head.  Not so noticeable from the front, but standing out like a sore thumb from the rear-view.  And when it falls out, it must be landing in my ears and taking root.  And recently, all hair growth must be concentrating on my eyebrows.

I never considered myself good looking, but I would admire my image in the mirror once in a while when I was younger.  I avoid that if all possible now.  Jan says I’m still handsome, but I think there’s some hidden clause in the marriage contract that requires her to state that out loud occasionally.  Our maybe she’s trying to delude herself into believing she doesn’t inhabit the same space with a troll.

Honestly, I can sort-of see now why older guys grow beards, wear their hair long and tie it up in pony tails.  Anything to distract from the disturbing truth about themselves.

Fortunately, for me anyway, my aging doesn’t bother me all that much, or all the time.  It’s just part of life.  And I have about 5 more years to work on that “stately” thing.  Sometimes, I think I’m almost there.

This morning I walked into the men's room at work and glanced at myself in the mirror while I was washing my hands.  Not to admire myself, mind you, but to look to see if I had anything hanging out of my nose.

And while I was looking, there it was … a two inch hair sticking out of my ear lobe.

Very stately.