The Buckets by Greg Cravens for November 17, 2019

It’s also normal to be dead.

(I’m only up to the B’s in my alphabetical daily comics routine and already there have been three with the theme of getting old. As if I don’t have enough reminders!)

Preaching to the choir here, Frank.

The last panel gives meaning to 2 great sayings: "Like father, like son and “Great minds think alike”.

such a SWEET family time, right.

I’ll never know, I’m already 19 years older than my dad was when he died.

I’m 40 years older than my mom was when she died.

I’m now old. I knew it would happen. What was surprising was how quickly it happened, the rather short time it took to go from mature, no longer a youth, to old and feeling it, for me, somewhere between 67 and 68. I try, though, to not let it define me. I can’t do anything about the medical stuff, but I can consciously not be the “old guy.” I don’t dress old. I don’t try to dress as a kid, but don’t wear the old man uniforms. I consciously work to avoid falling into the habit of walking old. I try to remember to stride out, not shuffle, mouth agape. I have to watch that slack mouth thing. Isn’t that an odd thing to have to do? And I’m often mistaken for being ten years younger. It’s not that I look young, I think it’s that I don’t act it.

And I never say, "Your generation…. " or imagine that the world is any worse today than it was when I was born. Quite the opposite, if the truth be faced.

Yep, I remember that tiny smug voice when I was a teen. Then when you get old you succumb to the fact you’re getting old, if you’re lucky.

I refuse to be that old person. Never mind that I’m having my 4th joint replacement tomorrow (I have severe degenerative osteoarthritis). My husband swears he looks older than me, since he’s already greying. I’m 60 years old, he’s 17 years younger, and I’ve never had grey hair. That was the best DNA Mama passed to me.. she never looked above her 60’s!

So, it’s the right knee, and I just know I’ll wake up screaming, no matter how much I trust my surgeon :/

And it’s normal to be dead…

When I was 20, I was certain that I would not be like all the fat old guys at the gym. Now I’m a fat old guy at the gym. I did not know the body’s increasing time to heal, slowing metabolism, and general breakdown would be such an impediment to keeping in shape.

It is really nice to see three generations sitting around a table just playing a game and talking together. This is true bonding.