Turning 40: Trials and tribulations…The Story of Me
They call it the naughty 40s, but hell no. Give me back my 20s any day.
Don’t want to depress any of my younger readers, but here is a bit of a comical view of being 40:
10 Hard Realities
- One day you will be walking down the aisle at the local grocer, and suddenly your knee will lock up and shoot a debilitating pain through your whole body, leaving you hopping along wondering what went wrong.
- You will pick up your wife’s suitcase packed for holiday and think, “That was never so heavy before…what is she packing?” Then your back needs 5 days recovering at the destination.
- The bladder - oooohh the bladder. You start planning trips by where and how often you can stop. Not by distance covered by the fuel tank.
- You cannot fight the grey any more. It starts with a patch of beard on the chin (which for some reason itches like hell) and the next morning it is everywhere.
- Winter was just another summer but cooler. Forget the naked angel spread on top of the duvet. Hello to layers of blankets and the electric blanket with feet that just don’t want to defrost.
- Saturdays used to be a day of recovery from a great Friday night. Now Saturdays are a day of recovery from the week’s work
- Let’s not talk about Sundays… Special day to do nothing to try save energy for the week to come. Please do not ask me to visit or come visit me on this sacred day.
- When you turn 40 you still have all the dance moves, you just don’t make them fast enough
- There are many billionaires younger than you, who started with nothing.
- Last one… Seems the skin on your head becomes too hard for hair to push through. Then it starts popping out everywhere else: Nose… Ears… Back
Won’t lie, 40 was the worst year yet.
I lost a business that I had invested a huge amount of energy and 10 years of my life into. Made some high risk investments out of desperation and lost some more. A very dear friend passed away. Worked the hardest I ever have and stressed this body to the edge.
This year I am turning 41 in September. I started a small cash business with a long term friend and am building it up on the side. Took a contract job in construction again to supplement both of our income while we build the new business. I decided that it is really not worth all the stress to chase a million dollars, and much more rewarding to deliver a service that leaves my customers happy to give me a hundred. That hundred is sure to become a thousand and worth a million when all you spread is a smile.
The day you turn 40,
Precious energy you'll lose.
Between sarcasm and pessimism,
You are welcome to choose.
Yes life will begin at 40,
Just subtract forty years.
You must be prepared,
To replace a few gears.
If you truly accept,
The hardest cold truth.
40 is exactly,
The old age of youth.
Let's not kid ourselves,
It's not what you feel.
From this grave disease,
There's no way to heal.
Now you'll be considered,
Old and quite wise.
Strangers shall notice,
By that look in your eyes.
You won't receive envy,
The minute 40 you turn.
But your checkmarks and scars,
You'll naturally earn.
- Shared from anitapoems.com
Editing assistance provided by @jrhughes through the Minnow Support Project
A great big shout out to Jess. you have such a big impact on this post. Greatly appreciated
If it makes you feel better... I experience most of those things at 27.
Except the wife thing. But my back is fucked already, so I feel like that carrying my own stuff!
Yea it just gets worse with time
Do they call it the naughty 40s or did you make that up?
At 32 I'm getting an early taste of all that. My back crapped out and my kidneys showed signs of weakening two years ago and I was left in pain and discomfort 24/7. It was getting worse and worse for a while until I put my foot down and said screw what the doctors say (they said it wouldn't be getting any better).
I truly believe that if we know how to take care of ourselves we can be in a relatively decent physical condition well through our 70s and it's never too late to at least make improvements. I've done more with a tennis ball and some basic knowledge of Chinese medicine and trigger release therapy than thousands of dollars and surgery could have done. My back is 70% better and my kidneys are healthy again (which is supposedly impossible).
Sure, you won't get younger, but stay positive and feel free to ask me if you want to know some alternative methods of staying young, all simple and safe.
maybe that is a saying here in South africa but quite well known. any ideas to feel young vibrant again will be welcomed. Ive been in a physical job for the last 12 plus years and it has taken its toll on the joints and my back. there are loads I could have done differently but I lived life and dont regret anything I have experienced
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Upvoted and resteemed! Thanks for the mention, it's a pleasure to be part of your fantastic posts 😊
Some says life begins at 40. Is it true? @freetissues by the way nice post
Well im only just 40 and I truly hope this is the start. It really gave me lotsa uphill to begin with so hoping for some downhills to come
Nice to know you my friend following you.