Pause

Perhaps stop

I’ve decided to pause “Getting Old Sucks” for a while, maybe forever. (I wanted to write “put it on hiatus,” but couldn’t stop laughing every time I did. Ain’t me.)

I had hoped that writing about my travails, perhaps with some humor, would help me adapt to my changing body and my changing brain. Instead, my persistent documenting of my ailments – with very little humor, even by my standards – only brought my pain and other symptoms into sharp focus. I wanted to get the details exactly right, so I researched the medical literature and my old calendars incessantly.

All of that made my actual problems worse; when you dwell on your pain, it intensifies. I was growing the demons, making them appear strong and invincible.

As much as I loved writing, loved the writing process, loved finding just the right words and phrases, I’m going to put this aside for now. See if snuffing the spotlight helps. I’ll write something else.

I want to thank you, my dear family and friends, for hanging in there. For reading and commenting. For sharing your love and concern and suggestions. You are my only family. You are my best friends; some I’ve known my whole life. I value your ideas and cherish your love.

So until we meet, or talk, or – most likely – see each other in pixels, thanks.

Getting old still sucks.

Steve

Image: Craiyon.com (I kinda like this pic, but all I asked this AI for was a broken pencil – impossible to deliver. Lots of pencils but all quite intact no matter how direct or cute I tried to write the prompt. For example, when in frustration, I tried, “a pencil in the act of being broken in the style of Ansel Adams,” this is what I got back. Go figure.)