60-AND-COUNTING
60. Day 1. Waiting to feel the shift. Wondering why I don’t feel the big 6-0 quite yet. I thought I’d feel wiser, less restless, more mellow. Hmmm...seems the progression into retirement will be gradual rather than sudden. And when exactly is the mind meant to catch up with the body? Because wow, my body has clearly veered off on its own tangent. It’s in the knees that complain like Lays packets every time I attempt a gentle bend. It’s in the 3 a.m. wake-ups where I stare at the ceiling as if I’ve been summoned by the universe (or perhaps just past traumas and faux pas) for no reason at all. It’s in the kidney stones that show up uninvited to announce that pain has layers. It’s in the fountains of water I drink, followed by bountiful bathroom visits. It’s in nails that chip, hair that’s drier than a bush in the Kalahari, and ridiculous reading rituals, as if focusing is suddenly an Olympic sport. In the mornings, I rise as stiff as wood, needing a full engine war...