Talking about my Generation
Time keeps on ticking, ticking...into the future
For now, I seem to be cruising right along in my old SUV. I’ve got the windows down, a cold road pop in a cozy nestled between my legs, and the music’s playing, “People try to put us d-down (talkin' 'bout my generation)”. It’s a fine sunny day; the road is open, and the destination is quite a ways off.
“Just because we get around (talkin' 'bout my generation)”.
I know this ride that my sprit is cruising in has hundreds of thousands of miles on it, the paint’s fading, there’s a few rust spots that have been painted over, the tires are worn, it’s got a front end shimmy, and the seals are old, so it leaks a little fluid when it’s parked. And then there’s that strange, occasional grinding noise from under my hood that I should probably be concerned about. But hey, it’s got fresh oil and a new air filter, so it seems like I should be good to go for a little while longer. I hope.
“Things they do look awful c-cold (talkin' 'bout my generation)”.
Sometimes I think I should take the old thing in, maybe get one or two of those issues fixed, but at this age, who knows what else they’ll find when they diagnose or try to fix them. For now, I’m content to keep on keeping on. I’ll trust the experts who say, “Your ride is doing pretty well considering its age and what you’ve put it through”.
“I hope I die before I get old (talkin' 'bout my generation)”.
These were the thoughts that popped into my mind the other day while out walking the dog. As I was heading up a hill, I noticed a new pain in my right hip. WTF! The pain in my left knee, well, that’s been a constant companion for over 5 years now, but the hip, that’s new. Chalk it up to another trip around the sun and yet more miles put on this aging chassis. What are ya gonna do? As much as we try, we can’t stop the aging process any more than we can stop water running through our fingers. We can slow it down, perhaps make it a little less arduous, but entropy rules in one way or another.
If I stop to tally my ailments, injuries, and chronic conditions from head to toe (a sobering exercise I would not recommend), I can think of a dozen potential issues that could seriously affect the performance of, if not derail, the old Thompson SUV for a while.
I know I’m not alone; the rest of my peers in my generation are going through the same thing. We lived hard in the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s in so many ways. We’re paying for the incautions of our youth. For example, we were the test subjects for advancing skateboard technology. From steel or cement wheels that could stop on a dime, or a pebble… and leave your body airborne for an instant with all the forward momentum… to composite wheels and flexible trucks, and helmets for such activities like biking and skateboarding.
I feel that I’m now reaping the consequences of events from previous years that have impacted my body (literally). The numerous falls and bruises, the broken elbow or dislocated knee from riding my skateboard in the drainage ditch (the only half-pipe we could find). Pounding my knees and back on the basketball court or the miles and miles of backpacking carrying way too heavy packs. The car wrecks, that years later, generated the comment, “You got a funny neck”, as my doctor gazed at my cervical x-ray, “You ever been in an auto accident?”. “Yup, doc, I sure have, a couple of them. They’re pretty good stories too”. Maybe I’ll tell them here at some point.
Ah well, what are ya gonna do? For now, the road is clear, and there’s a hill coming up. If I can get a little more momentum, maybe I can make it over the pass, coast down the other side, put a few more miles behind me, and keep on trucking…till I reach the higher ground.
“Talkin' 'bout my generation (this is my generation, baby)”…