Lately I am really feeling like an old man. I'm finding just doing basic physical things like putting groceries away or washing up dishes or making the bed seem to be so tiring. It's not that I can't do them but the effort required seems to be so much more. Those are little things. Bigger chores like vacuuming or washing floors or scrubbing the bath tub feel like they're right on the edge of what I'm physically able to manage. Certainly if for some reason I need to get down on my hands and knees to clean something or reach under something it''s become a major production both getting down and getting back up - I can do it, but it's hard.
The other thing I'm finding is that things seem to take up so much more time than they used to. Just getting myself washed up, shaven and dressed to leave home seems to take far far longer than it reasonably should.
There is also more personal maintenance to do. I have a whole set of things to do to my teeth before bed to protect my gum and tooth health - no more just a brushing and off to bed. Eye drops for glaucoma. Dry mouth. Dry eyes. Dry nose. All things that require some kind of action.
Plus medical appointments. More maintenance. Ophthalmologist, cardiologist. family doctor. My dental checkups have moved from every six months to every four.
So far I'm managing to keep up with the computer world. More or less. But all the things I do on the computer -banking, medical appointments, taxes etc - do not come naturally, they require thought and effort. It's a battle I may be slowly losing - I'm not using my phone like the young people do, I'm still using credit cards and a transit card. Old age again, finding innovation challenging and tiring.
One thing I feel very guilty about is my unwillingness to invest time in serious reading. I've always been a reader but of late if I find a book challenging or very long I just don't make the effort to keep at it. I turn to something lighter and fun. I find that sad since it's something that was a big part of my life which I'm letting go of.
And music. This surprises me. Classical music was always a part of my life, and if I hear something classical I still find it beautiful and think to myself that I should listen to music more. But day to day I don't turn anything on. There's a whole world of classical and other music available to me at the touch of a button but I just don't seem to have the time or energy to take advantage of it.