I Am Old

I am not the kind of person who fears getting older.  Hitting 30 was not a trauma, I welcomed it.  Of course, I had already pretty much hit my milestones by then.  I built a successful career (and then walked away from it, which was kind of fun, too).  I got married (for the first time so far) and had kids.  In fact, by the time I hit 30, I was good. I celebrated with pink hair extensions.  No sadness there.  Each year after that has been just an other candle on the cake.  After all, getting older sure beats the alternative, right?  But, suddenly as I am within weeks of 35, I am feeling O L D.

I am not sure its even the date that is morphing my Google searches from combat boots to orthopedic shoes, but the fact that I feel old.  I am the oldest 34 year 50 week old on the planet.  Case in point (or points):

• My birthday and Christmas wish list for my parents and husband includes a Shark Steam Mop and a Dustbuster.  Hello, Middle Age.  My name is Lynn, but at least I'll be clean.
• I have plantar fasciitis.  While that is a foot thingy, it just sounds like the scientific term for "old."
• When I stand from a seated position, there is a cacophony of sounds from creaking ankles, cracking knees, and a guttural groan from the exertion.
• I seriously look forward to the days where I can wear elastic waist pants (but I blame it on work.)
• When my friends came over on Halloween with their little baby, I spent a great deal of time discussing my ulcer and trying to determine if my friend has one, too.  Once you stop talking current events and gossip and start comparing ailments, its all down hill from there.
• I have gone from being the youngest in the group, be it at work or the neighborhood, to not.  I work with a 24 year old and my next door neighbor is one, too.  For those of you doing the math, I am a decade older than my peers.  So, when I talk to my friend about how I was in middle school when she was graduating college.... there are now people who can say that to me!  TO ME!!!!

So, the long and the short of it is that I'm old.  I am turning 35 and I am moving like an old person, shopping like an old person, talking like an old person.  I am an old person.  And, if I am this old at only 35...  God help us all when I hit 40!