I was astonished to hear that (as reported on The Today Show recently), people start feeling old when they’re about 37 or 38. That’s when the people who are younger that you outnumber those who are older than you, at least for now.

Old is just a word. But it’s a word that is popping up a lot more often in my life than it used to. And for me, its meaning is changing. I was “young” when I retired at seventy-five. The next day I was “old”. But young-old.

Right now I feel middle-old. That means I have a few more aches and a little less energy. It means I prefer to go out one night per weekend not three. It means that pulling weeds from our garden tires me out sooner than it used to.

I hope to make it to old-old and if I am OK mentally, maybe even older-old.

One day at a time.