You know, each morning when I look at myself in the mirror…

You know, each morning when I look at myself in the mirror, I see the same old face that I’ve been living with for these past 64 years. Now, I must admit that the old body has been reshaped and I no longer have that svelte 28 inch waist, but then again who cares’

Aside from a few minor aches and pains, I feel about as good as I did forty years ago. Of course, I can’t run as fast or do as much heavy lifting, but then again so what’

What does bother me is the fact that I’ve started noticing that more and more younger people have started calling me ‘sir’ and trying to help me out from time to time.

Take this morning for instance; I went to get my eyes examined as I do every year or so. The young lady performing the exam was nice and courteous, no problem. However when I went to sit in the chair, she grabbed me by the arm and advised.’ Be careful, there is a step up here.

My eyes are very good and I saw the step before she pointed it out to me. I guess my thought was, did I look that old and feeble to her that she assumed I needed some help getting into the examination chair’ What was it that made her make this comment, or did she always say something like this to folks my age’ Maybe she was just trying to be helpful.

I am beginning to get suspicious.

Yesterday, I stopped at the grocery store and picked up some things. Little things, like bread, cokes, some cheese, light stuff’ not heavy. Couldn’t have weighed over ten pounds, if that much. The young man sacking the stuff, asks me..’sir, do you need help carrying that out to your car Now, I’ m asking myself ‘ was he looking for a bigger tip or did he really think I couldn’t make it out to my car by myself’

Getting older isn’t so bad’ as long as you keep on doing it. As time goes by, things, especially our bodies change. Look at Dick Clark and George Hamilton. They’ve changed as well. I don’t feel any different, I just wonder if I look any different.

I quit going to my high school reunions a long time ago. All of those people looked a lot older than me and I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings by asking something stupid like…’ what the devil happened to you

I was with my best friend several years ago when we ran into an old boy who had been the most popular and best looking in our high school class. He looked like he had been rode hard and put away wet. I mean he looked really bad. Like someone said, he had a face that looked like it had caught on fire and someone put it out with a rake. I didn’t comment and just shook hands with him and inquired about his life. My friend wasn’t as gracious and just kept saying things like This can’t be you’ what happened to you’ you look bad.’ It wasn’t one of my best moments.

I felt sorry for the guy and we left shortly afterwards. My best friend still doesn’t believe that this was the guy we knew in high school.

All of us will undergo a change, as we grow older. I suppose it should come as no surprise to me that what I see in the mirror each day might not be the same as what others see when they look at me.

The positive side of this is that I’ m still out here plugging away at it every day. I shouldn’t take offense when someone is trying to help. I really should just grin and bear it and be thankful that I’ m still motivating on my own steam without needing anyone else’s help.

For the time being anyway.