More or Less

As I get older, I experience changes in my body that all come down to More or Less

MORE

Growths

I used to be proud of my skin. Somewhat dark-complexioned, as a teenager I loved lying in the sun during the summer and getting tanned. I had a few dark moles on my body that my mother called beauty marks. I never minded them. Anything I had called beauty was fine with me. Forward about 50 years, my body started having many add-ons, some even look like what used to be called beauty marks. But according to my husband, they are called tags. TAGS!- like something found on an object in a yard sale and sold “as is.” I seem to have reached a new stage of fertility.

Extra Skin

I was never overweight… OK, maybe a little. But still, where did all that extra skin on my arms and thighs and face come from? I never could have filled in all that space. And who would have thought that gravity, an abstract concept, would play such a significant role in how I look.

Weight

Talking about weight, who ever said what goes up must come down? Weight loss plans work for my husband, but not for me. Between Ups and Downs, Ups are far ahead.

Comfortable Clothes

While all these changes are taking place, I have also found that comfort in clothes is more important to me. So no more high heels (except for very special occasions), and no need for tight-fitting clothes or short skirts that keep me from crossing my legs when sitting down. And I have come to appreciate elasticized waistlines, especially in this COVID time.

LESS

Hair

I always had thick, dark curly hair, typical of my eastern European Jewish heritage. It was so curly that as a pre-teen I had what was called a “poodle” cut, and in my 20s, in line with the fashion, it became an Afro. As I grow older my hair is thinning. My kindly hairdresser tells me that it was too bushy before, so now it is an improvement, but I know better. Sometimes less is not more.

Energy

I used to have three young children at home, a full-time job, and a long commute to work. Life was busy, but I had the energy for it all. Now retired, living in New York City, and with just my husband at home, I anticipated that my energy would be used for extensive day-long explorations of the city. It hasn’t turned out that way. Pre-COVID, when the City was open, I found I had less energy than I expected, and mid-day naps were sometimes needed. I expect that I will again find this post-COVID.

Acuity of senses

Vision and hearing have been declining for several years. Thankfully, unlike the energy loss, there are tools to help restore them – like glasses, hearing aids, cataract surgery, etc. Perhaps the results will make these senses better than ever, and I can move this item from the Less to the More category.

Multi-tasking

I remember days when I would push my body to exhaustion- there’s much less of that now. With children and a job, there were numerous activities to be done outside of work, sometimes two or more simultaneously, like walking the dog, helping children with homework, preparing a paper or presentation needed for work, making meals, shopping, and many more. No more- I can often plan a more leisurely day, including scheduling time for relaxing. 

So, if you ask me how I am managing the aging process I would say overall it’s not bad. Most days I feel pretty good – More or Less.