On The Downside

I had a friend tell me not long ago that at our age, nothing real positive happened. His emphasis was on that we had nothing to look forward to any more. He used the examples of when you turn 16, you look forward to getting your Driver's License, and later graduating from high school and college, and then starting your career, and so on and so forth. At our age, the only thing we have to look forward to is going to the doctor and hoping you don't have a terminal illness or something else wrong with you. The more I think about it, the more I believe he is right. You can say 50 is the new 30 all you want but I don't believe that for a second. I have rheumatoid arthritis, the beginning symptoms of Parkinson's Disease, high blood pressure, and so on and so forth. There is not a second of the day that I am not in pain. I have tried putting as much of a positive spin on this that I can but it is becoming harder and harder every day. I am only approaching early middle age. I will admit that I am only limited to what I can do by my own misgivings. I told my ex-wife yesterday that I was tired of taking all of these pills just so I could sleep and just so I could function on a minimal level every day. What I really need to work on is a more positive mental approach. After all, I can only play the hand I am dealt.