Yin and Yang of Being 40 (Almost)

Truth be told, this aging nonsense is getting me down. There’s this constant Yin and Yang battle waging, and lately the Yin is getting the better of me.¹ Luckily the Yang is pulling ahead as I approach 40 - I'm accepting who I am and feeling fairly content and confident with it. But it’s competing with the Yin -the realization that I can’t do many of the things I used to do anymore. Times they are a-changin'.

Woe is me, the list of things I can’t do anymore is long. I can’t drink wine followed by a cocktail, or I feel like I have PMS, a migraine, and heart disease the next day. I can’t listen to my kids’ radio station without complaining that the music is so bad it hurts my brain. I can’t read small print without holding it at arm’s reach. I can't go to a concert anymore without feeling like I'm everyone's mom. I have to restrain myself from telling teenagers, "Don't do that, you could get hurt, or get a disease, or you could get pregnant!" I really could live with all of those minor annoyances of aging just fine– the Yang was winning - until I decided to try water skiing again.

Just last week, I strapped on the water skis and stared Yin down with fierce determination. Sure, I haven’t water skied in over 10 years, but it wasn’t very tough back then. And I actually thought, I’m probably in better shape now than 10 years ago. Surely, I thought, I have the ability to conquer the water on skis. I was determined, and I was naively excited. I had a few daydreaming visions of myself flying along behind the speedboat, zipping across the wake, maybe even getting some air. Don't I look ready?

Sure, that's me. In my imaginary head.

After the first crack at it, which lasted all of 10 seconds, I felt even more tenacious. I was going to hold onto that rope and do some kick ass water skiing! And, did I ever hold onto the rope. I held onto it even when I should have let go, and I ended up twisting my legs in a painful crash that probably resembled a pretzel doing the splits. The skis flew off, my leg was in agony, and I hadn’t skied for more than 30 seconds. What a huge let down – and score 1 for Yin.

This one probably looks exactly right. But I'm not sure why she's wearing a jacket and pants, waterskiing in the snow. Looks like a dare she should have ran from.

Damn Yin, reminding me that my body is getting older no matter what I do to fight it. Hell, in another 10 years I won’t be able to water ski anymore at all. I suppose that should encourage me to do it as much as I can now. But as I sit here icing my leg, I’m wondering whether it’s worth it. That Yin is a mean force to reckon with. Perhaps I should open my mind to cross-stitch, scrapbooking and crossword puzzles. That’s exactly what my sprained hamstring is lobbying for.

On the upside, the day after my waterskiing crash I did manage to drive the speedboat for my husband to wakeboard. After a few days of trying, he was happy I finally figured out how to control the speed of the boat perfectly. Good times for him – he loved it. (He’s a tad older than me, and didn’t get injured at all in his endeavor, but I'm not bitter.) Hey, at least I can still drive. Perhaps I can squeeze in some of my new cross-stitch hobby between stints of driving the boat. Here’s hoping I still have a little time before I get bifocals and have to be driven like Miss Daisy.

Look at how happy and perfect these two buff bods are. Aaaaackk. Get over yourselves.
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¹ I am vaguely aware that the philosophy of Yin and Yang isn’t good and bad opposing forces, but complementary opposites, that interact within a greater whole. Or something like that. I just like the symbolism for my little story.