So a couple of days ago I bought a bottle of good Portuguese wine since I will be going to a conference in Portugal soon and need to figure out beforehand how the wine situation is. The person at the register asked me for my ID. Did I get annoyed? Why would I? My question is always, “how old do you think I am?” He said mid-twenties. I bought another bottle of wine and left the store with my head held up high. Apparently, I look young, fresh and healthy. Inside, I felt tired, exhausted, stressed out and discouraged for the last week plus. I overheard this sweet conversation of two elderly ladies at the store the other day. They both said how nice it would be to just be twenty again, to have the opportunity to do it all over and that they both wouldn’t mind being healthier and with less wrinkles. Further, they added they would never get married again and who needs men anyway.
I paid for my salmon, arugula, tomatoes and mozzarella (favorite dish for supper when it is hot outside) and thought about aging, the anti-aging market and eternal youth. Will the person at the liquor store still ask me for my ID in ten years? I know by now that creams, peels, lasers and all the chemicals like botox are most certainly not a solution. It just does not work. A cream cannot get rid of cellulite and why would I want to let a doctor inject the fat from my ass into my lips to make them fuller? Can I reverse the aging process somehow on my own? Is there a way to reverse the aging process? More wine? More Portuguese wine? Or is booze aging me the most? In moderation, most likely not. Well, I know what is aging me for sure.
Stress. Stress is bad for me. Occasional stress is manageable but anything chronic kills me. Assignments, deadlines, tons of work and when usually everything comes together (Petit Joel sick etc.) I feel like curling up in fetal position to silently weep myself to sleep. It has been a rough couple of weeks but I am seeing a tiny light at the end of the tunnel. If I don’t get enough sleep and whenever I am tired for a couple of days in a row I feel old.
Phone and Computer. Again, everything in moderation but I realized the other day how much time I actually spend on my phone or in front of the screen and it makes me feel old or age faster for some reason. I am not taking my phone to the playground anymore. I focus on my son and that is it. Also, I set a time limit to work on my school projects; like write for 2-3 hours then turn the computer off and do nothing else to give my brain some time to rest. By nothing, I mean nothing. No music, no reading or anything. Just laying on the couch for a bit listing to my body or the wind and just process the present moment.
Sitting. Are you sitting down for this? Working at my desk for those 2-3 hours straight makes me feel so stiff that I want to go outside and run. I have this urge to move around, stretch and eat my lunch in the plank position. Too much sitting makes me feel old. Makes me stiff all over and my muscles ache. These days I take my bicycle everywhere to move around. Or I practice Yoga. Or a nice walk in the park. Swimming at the public pool is also awesome, especially since it is getting warmer here in Canada. Finally, eh!
I just have to keep this in mind and make some changes here and there and I am on my way to the fountain of youth.
