I'm too old for this s—!
Yesterday, decided, in my infinite wisdom, to take a road trip. Well, the decision was made in advance, but yesterday was the day I hopped in the car and drove thirteen hours to where some friends live to hang out. About six hours of socializing followed, leaving me awake for nearly twenty hours in a row. A good time was had, but man, I am not as young as I used to be.
Should I have any lesson to impart to people in their fifties, as I am: memento mori. Remember that you will die. And staying awake the bulk of a twenty-four-hour period may be exactly what does it. Indeed, you will sleep the sleep of the dead once you finally get to bed.
And here’s the best part of abusing yourself this way: once you’re done doing whatever you made that drive for — socialization, business trip, what have you — then you get to make that drive again. It’s like your reward for being so ambitious is to have your ambition crushed out of you.
Which is to say, I have learned my limitations. As much as I’d like to pretend that I’m still in my mid-thirties, I’ve piled on an extra couple of decades, and those years do make a difference.
I hate to use the word, but maybe I’m… getting old. Not older, but old. And that’s a bitter truth to face.