Rude Awakening........

Time is flying by….


Seems like that was just last month…..

I can’t believe it’s been 10, 15, 20 years ago – seems like it was just last week…… blah, blah, blah.

I know that these words often roll off of my tongue - and everyone is sick of hearing it.

Well, buck up! If you are going to hang with me, be prepared to hear more of the same!

I never understood the concept of time when I was in my 20’s and 30’s. For some reason I assumed that I would be perpetually young and that “old” was someplace far away – many years into the future.

But alas, “old” is creeping up on me – really quickly.

John and I are loving our new boat and being out on the water. A couple of weeks ago, the lake water was still very cold but I wanted to get in. John tried to tell me that I would freeze – but no – I wouldn’t hear it. You see, I thought that I could get on my floating air mattress and be above the water. I thought that I could get on the flotation device before entering the water and once mounted and in the lake, I would float on top of the water and be just fine.

Now, go back with me about 35 years. My good friend Penny (yes same friend Penny of today) and I were always anxious to work on our tans. Well, I worked on my tan, Penny worked at not getting sunburned. We weren’t completely crazy, we had some rule(s); it had to be at least 70 degrees. Ok – so we had ”a” rule. The water was so stinkin cold – but we had a plan – a tried and true very successful plan. We knew that if we got on our 99 cent air mattresses before entering the water, only our hands would get wet and cold as we used them to propel ourselves to the edge of the swimming area at Prairie Creek. Once to the edge of the swimming area, we put the end of our air mattresses under the rope and our feet on top of the rope. That maneuver kept us warm and dry because WE FLOATED ON TOP OF THE WATER ON OUR AIR MATTRESSES!!!!!! Seems like just last week.

Leap forward 35 years – 2 weeks ago at the lake – I have a fancy expensive floating mattress – not the cheap 99 cent version. Rude Awakening – I NO LONGER FLOAT ON TOP OF THE WATER! The weight of my body pushes the mattress into the water – frigging ice cold water! How can this be? I used to float on top of the water?

I managed to get back into the boat – freezing cold and soaking wet, still reeling from the preceding event.

I had lunch with Penny last week. I asked her if she remembered our very early spring outings to the lake. She did. She remembered it exactly as I had described. We laughed. I asked her if she knew that there was a good chance if she got in the water on a 99 cent air mattress now, she would get wet. Guess what? She knows! She too has had this sinking experience.

Yes, it is inevitable, “old” comes. It is not for the faint of heart or the weak in spirit.

Good news about “old” – I wouldn’t trade it for 100 years in high school.