Slippery Slope
Oh, it’s a slippery slope when you find yourself on Mount Aging. And you will, one day, find yourself on that slope, if you aren’t there already. It’s a fact of life. Like death and taxes. It comes for us all.
But don’t dismay. All is not gloom and doom. The key is to be aware and have the knowledge to navigate that slope. And most importantly, acceptance. Once you accept the situation, adaptation, the key to Darwin’s theory of evolution mind you (smart man), life will be easier.
To that end, here’s a snippet of that slippery slope scenario.
If you have been following along on these blog posts, you will have already read about some of the situations. First, it’s getting reading glasses. Then, it’s getting a granny chain for those reading glasses. It’s soft clothes 24/7 if you can achieve that. It’s not dying your hair. Each of these actions leads and softens the way for the next one. That first one, like a gateway drug, opens the door to Mount Aging, and before you know it, you are ascending that mountain.
Suddenly, eating dinner at 4:30, taking advantage of the early bird special, does not seem ludicrous, but down right sane. Back in my soft clothes or pj’s by 7 pm? In bed by 10? Life is grand.
The latest concession Mount Aging has extracted from me? Sneakers that you don’t have to bend over and tie. Have you seen or heard of these? You may not if you aren’t googling things like how to keep your mind sharp as you age, or best diet for the aging body. You can imagine the ads that start popping up in my newsfeed.
One of them was from this brand called Kizik. No need to bend over and tie your shoes. Simply slide your feet right into them. They are not a loafer. They look exactly like sneakers. They have a variety of styles too, such as the running sneaker or the platform sneaker. Honestly, I think these things are so great that everyone should get them no matter your age. Life changing. I own two pair now. A black running sneak and a white platform sneak.
Now one could have the counter argument that bending over to tie your shoes is actually like exercise and probably would help the aging body. These are probably the same people that would tell me I need to drink less wine also. So we will just ignore them.
For me, being OCD and having contamination issues, there is the added bonus of not needing to wash my hands after tying my shoe laces. What’s your response to that people who would have me bend over to tie my shoes for the sake of exercise? What? Exposure therapy? Sorry. I can’t hear you. Too busy walking out the door in my sneakers I don’t need to bend over and tie.
Another benefit to these slip on sneakers is going through security at the airport. So easy to slip on and off, should you not have TSA pre-check and need to remove your shoes. They are also great while you are on the plane, if like me, you like to remove your shoes for a long flight. Ever try bending over in a coach seat? A near impossible feat not for the faint of heart and really only achievable if you are a contortionist.
So there’s a little preview of the slippery slopes of Mount Aging. One day you are wearing sneakers that you don’t think twice about tying laces, and one day, be it ever so slightly a shift in the evolution of change, you are wearing slip on sneakers that look just like regular sneakers.
I am all a-tingle about what might come next. Orthopedic inserts? Only time will tell.