The Mind can Trick the Body

“Be careful, don’t hurt yourself. You aren’t 25 anymore, you know.”
This was from my (older) husband as we were hiking in the woods a few days ago, and I was climbing up a fairly rocky hill. I was holding on tightly to the dog’s leash, praying he’d pull me up the steep incline. Instead he kept waiting for me to lead the way – it’s the first time he’s ever actually “heeled” in his life - and for once I didn’t want him to. We got up to the top of the hill safely with no injuries except to my ego, and then and there I wondered what happened to my sense of adventure. I am never afraid of getting hurt. I’ve always loved climbing steep hills and rocks, jumping across streams and running through leaves. True, I’ve spent my share of times with an ice pack or ace bandage, but I never feared getting hurt. It wasn’t until my husband reminded me of my old age that I even considered I could sprain an ankle, hurt my hip or do something to a knee.

It’s funny, but even though my body does at times remind me that I am not 25 anymore, and haven’t been for, well, 25 years, I have quite a few moments in life that I just forget how old I am. I often wonder if I did not know my birth year, and if someone hadn’t invented mirrors, how old would I really be? The mind is such a powerful thing. And my mind still thinks it’s in its’ 30’s.

When I go clothes shopping, I automatically go to the section of clothes that are meant for someone 20 years younger. It’s like I am stuck in that strange middle-world: wanting to be young, but needing to grow up, and truly wondering how far I can push the envelope. You know - that fine line of dressing youthful versus looking like a grandmother that raided her teenaged granddaughter’s closet.

Luckily I don’t over-analyze the getting old thing, and I do still feel healthy. But because my mind doesn’t dwell on my “true age”, I do surprise sometimes myself when I look in the mirror. I’ve decided that the mirror will be my friend no matter what, even if the reflection isn’t exactly what I had assumed I would see. The torture times are when I use the magnifying mirrors. They were invented to show women over 40 all their flaws. The hair where there wasn’t any, the freckles that have changed to age spots and the tiny wrinkles that aren’t so tiny anymore. I normally would refuse to use the dang thing, except I need to be able to see to put my makeup on.

I am not ready to give up my adventuresome soul, and at times I do need to sit and have a chat with my body. Here is an example of my dialogues:
“Look, I know you are 51. I know you have a few issues with me doing things that may cause a pain or two. I know you really don’t want me to wear anything sleeveless. I understand that after I work out or dance the muscles are going to hurt. Let’s just start saying that this isn’t because we are getting old. Let’s just say it’s because we are living, and using and enjoying this body, and pushing it to limits that will remind us we are alive, and we can still climb and dance and wear clothes that don’t look like our grandmothers.

Life is good at any age. We just have to remind our body that the mind really is in control. And when your mind is only 30, there sure is a whole lot of living left to do – and there is no telling what it may wear, say or do. Ben-Gay anyone?