What Is Happening To Me?

Most of my life, I have had some idea of where I was with anticipation of what’s to come. Not so much now. You see, in a matter of months I’ll become an octogenarian—that means you can calculate my age by assigning 10 years to each tentacle of an octopus. 10 x 8 = 80…Yikes…

The other day, one of my very bright and observant grandchildren—which describes all 13 of them—kept looking up and staring at me. “What?” I asked. Then, with the childhood wonder of discovery, they said, “Pappy, you know how I know you are old? It’s ‘cause you have so many wrinkles.” 

I instinctively wanted to smack 'em, then follow up with a session on being polite and respectful. What was I to do? So caught off guard I started laughing (to abate my first instinctual response). Trapped, up a box canyon with no place to turn, I smiled real big (accentuating a few rows in my field of wrinkles) and agreed with a chuckle, “Yep!”. Sure enough—so many roads traveled all recorded on my face…and the dark spots as added landmarks. 

I want to scamper up the tower and clutch the hands of Big Ben—that great clock—and spin them backwards a couple of decades…maybe 20 some-odd years. That would give me time to prepare for 80. The last 20 have vaporized. Where was I? Was I getting ready for eight-zero? I’m not even old enough to be 80!

I have no plans to retire…I enjoy all the years of experience and accrued wisdom—and most importantly, I continue to enjoy being a part of healing, growth, and development with people. “Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race…”  Philippians 3:13-14

Grady Yarbrough, Jr., LPC