I didn't believe them

None of them. They warned me but I said... "Not me!"

I am, alas, getting older. It's not something I intended to do, nor planned for, but here it is. There's an old saying about your knees going first. Well, one of my knees went a bit early (see Oh Snap) purely by stupid accident or inherent clumsiness; which one is unimportant. The point is, we get a bit stiff as we stumble through these Golden Years.

I am noticing that much more these days. But it seems backward. I always assumed it would get harder to bend my knees. I have found that is not the case, even with the (now healed) busted kneecap. It is getting more and more difficult to unbend the knees. It is the standing up that reminds me I am getting older, not the sitting down.

I noticed this last week at our regularly scheduled dinner with friends. After the meal and conversation (which can take a couple of hours) I started to stand up. It became a chore. More than a chore, actually, I was afraid I wouldn't make it. And it wasn't just the bad knee, it was also the "good" one.

All of this and the Snap-crackle-and-pop of my ankles is reminding me that bodies can wear out at some point. And I suspect it is still several decades before we can replace ankles and the various tendons and ligaments that no longer stretch and snap back as they should.

Maybe I should have taken better care of myself...