aging Archives – arounddustyroads

The Shocking Discovery: I Am, In Fact, Aging

OK, I admit it. I’m getting older. Along with age comes the usual aches and pains, but honestly? I’ve been lucky. I’ve made it three‑quarters of a century with no heart disease, no Big C lurking in the shadows, and no organs threatening to resign. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about my remaining life span. There are no guarantees, and my brain has started doing math I never asked it to do.

The Administrative Side of Mortality (Yawn)

I’m finally — and very reluctantly — trying to get my life, or maybe my death, organized so I don’t leave a giant mess behind for my family. Necessary, yes. Fun, absolutely not. But that’s not what today’s post is about.

Today’s post is about a different “getting older” problem, one I didn’t expect to hit so hard: the emotional side of mobility issues.

My Body Says 75, My Brain Says 40

I’ve had hip and knee issues for years. I even had a hip replacement in 2018, and it was the best decision I ever made — instant pain relief, and today that hip is the best joint I’ve got. My knees, however, have decided to behave like they’re made of damp cardboard. Especially the right one.

A person stands on a rocky shoreline facing floating ice and a massive glacier stretching between snow‑covered mountains under a cloudy sky at Mendenhall Glacier in Alaska.

Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska

Stairs? A negotiation. Walking long distances? A comedy routine.
Me — the person who used to hike mountains — now can’t walk around the block.

I use a cane on bad days, but what I really need is one of those walkers with the basket and the seat. With one of those, I could load up my camera, stroll the neighborhood, visit wildlife sanctuaries with boardwalks, and get back to taking nature photos.

It sounds wonderful.

So why can’t I do it?

The Identity Crisis No One Warned Me About

A red four‑wheel mobility scooter with a padded seat, armrests, handlebars, and a front basket, designed to help someone travel longer distances with comfort and support. Because in my head, I’m still the neighbor who carried everyone’s groceries. I’m the one who hauled trash barrels, climbed stairs without thinking, and never needed help.

Now I’m the one saying, “Are you going downstairs? Let me get out of your way — I’m slow.”

I hate it.

And don’t even get me started on the time Joe posted a picture of me on a rental scooter. He thought it was cute. I reacted like he’d posted my Social Security number. That photo came down FAST.

Gray hair? Love it. Cane? Fine. Airport wheelchair? Practical. But a walker? That feels like crossing some invisible emotional line.

The Real Problem: My Head Forgot to Age

I don’t want sympathy or pity. I want to be seen as self‑sufficient. My head still thinks I’m 40, but my body is laughing so hard it’s wheezing.

How do I take the next step?

And Here’s the Part Where Humor Saves Me

The truth is, aging isn’t the enemy — my pride is. My body is filing complaints, my joints are staging walkouts, and my brain is still insisting we could climb a mountain “if we really wanted to.” So maybe the next step isn’t admitting defeat. Maybe it’s admitting reality… and then laughing at it. If a walker gets me back to the wildlife sanctuaries, the boardwalks, and the camera in my hand, then maybe it’s not a symbol of getting old — maybe it’s a symbol of refusing to stop living. And honestly? If my head doesn’t want to grow up, that’s fine. I’ll let the walker do the adulting for both of us.

Your Turn — Because I Know I’m Not the Only One

Has anyone else been through this? Any suggestions for coping with my reluctant emotional gremlin? I’d genuinely love to hear how others handled that moment when practicality and pride collided.

I’m sure everyone remembers a few years ago ( I think it was around 2007), there was a “Lifeline” commercial that turned into a media event. The victim had Fallen and the tag line was “Help I’ve Fallen and can’t get up”. Soon enough there were T-Shirts and jokes galore all based on the phrase “I’ve Fallen and I can’t get up.”

I was as bad as the next person. I thought it was pretty funny too.

Well what is it they say about “pay back?” I am discovering that as I “mature” (my sister takes issue when I say “old”) the “klutz factor” has grown.

I was mopping the kitchen floor last week and everyone knows that floors are

but as I turned to leave the kitchen …”bam!” (not the Emeril kind). I was on my butt before I could even think about what was happening. Rocky came scampering over to see what “mom” was doing on the floor but all he managed to do was get in my way as I tried to get back up, first the hands slipping then the feet. Finally I hitched myself to the edge of the kitchen so I could get a grip on the carpet and not slide.

I must have looked pretty silly but thankfully there wasn’t anyone to watch me except the cats. Anyway, back on my feet my right hip hurt and my right knee started to swell almost immediately. By this time I’m feeling more stupid than injured. I continued on about my business figuring I was a little bruised but that I’d be fine the next day.

Well I’m here to tell you that even a bruise doesn’t heal like it used to before I became “mature”. As a matter of fact it’s been 4 days and I’m still limping. Sitting too long locks up the joints and I’ve noticed that trying to sit so my hip doesn’t hurt makes my back ache! I do not like these aches and pains, no I do not like them at all!

But I have been soldiering on and will soon be sharing more exploits in spite of walking with a “Shuffle” and enviously eyeing the “Hoverounds”.