agingAny human being capable of breathing oxygen, with working neurons and thalamus glands, goes through life’s irreversible process otherwise known as ageing.  (Ooops, that’s the 50-year-old me speaking). Simply put, this condition which is as inevitable as any natural occurrence, often brings with it physical and psychological changes bound to challenge even the superpowers of Vicky Belo, Marge Holmes, and Coney Reyes combined! Unless you are suffering from extreme catatonia, or just simply in complete denial — you’ll sure come face to face with the fact that yes, we all will go there. Get ready to be alarmed by the presence of  unsightly and uninvited guests such as crows feet, skin pigmentation, bulging tummy, eyebags, loose skin, etcetera. Be prepared to wake up one day, with a dreaded expression on your face for you will stare hard at your reflection in the mirror sans the freshness and dewiness of youth. The once beautiful you becomes the vintage that has been your parents or your grandparents perhaps! Say hi to body ailments and maladies you never thought you’d meet along the way.

Science may trick us with its long list of enhancements and nutritional supplements but the truth of the matter remains. Everybody will all grow old, there’s no escaping in that.

The other day I was chatting online with good friend Marj and I was telling her maybe I’m exhibiting a few signs of such weird vintagey feeling. Hehe. The kind that makes you toink if you’re heading towards midlife crisis. Errr, take note of the ‘maybe’. At least I was still holding on to the idea that this feeling is temporary, because hello I’m still decades and decades away from that. Oh yeah defensive. Of late, I notice how my mind drifts away down memory lane. All I know is that I only watched the complete series of Grey’s Anatomy!

Kidding aside, I wonder how in the world is it for people who are fast hitting their 40s and 50s. I personally know some of the populace who seem to be “merry” despite this all-too-encompassing condition. One gay friend (uhm, ex-friend rather, haha) makes no fuss admitting to making laklak uber-expensive glutathione tabs to make his skin extra-smooth and fair, working his muscles out at gym to stay sexy and firm, and trying all sorts of health diets to possibly be delicious for his younger jowawich! To what extent are these regimen effective, I dont know. Then there are those who attempt to scale the world of their ambitions however stiff the path may be and without a life partner which is probably viewed as casual nuisance. What is it like when people in this situation stay in their room, alone and only in the company of their books or laptops or treasured memorabilia? How does it feel to be up there, moneyed, but alone and a good candidate for museum artifacts? Most of them says its lonely, but thats life. It does feels great to be in the company of bigwigs but you still have your own demons to battle with.

It wasn’t so bad with my parents who are both in their 50s at the moment. Mother is 53, but aside from occasional headaches and rare visit to clinic because of her anemia — the signs are almost inexistent. My father is 59 and also shows no sign whatsoever of, in my own lingo — arjudness. Both are fine. I wish I could age as gracefully as them. I really hope so. I am the classic case of the kid wanting to experience everything in an instant, almost adamant to jump to the next level. At 21, I felt like a spinster…would you believe? Odd, odd me. Now you know why I had a family at a young age. My contemporaries were savouring single-blessedness until late 20s to early 30s. Believe me some are even unattached after hitting the age “na wala na sa kalendaryo”, and yet they are okay. Maybe its me. Is it my own programming again? Haha. Is it my attachment to pork (which, according to hubby, is the yuckiest of all foods there is)? There’s no textbook facts to help us face this truth head-on as we all have differences. What may work for Polano and Polana may hardly do for Bruno and Bruna. Get what I mean? For instance, how can you explain the behavior of people (especially the males) hitting this age bracket who intentionally decide to have an affair after staying so long in marital bliss? That is not an accusation because I personally know of some. Where do you attribute the fact that both sexes (or all sexes? whats the most politically correct term?) suddenly have tornado-like lifestyle changes: from domesticity to a life of social extravagance! What do you have in mind when you see a 50-ish something sporting a do like some teenagers fresh from highschool?

Anyways, looking at the brighter side (ugh, yeah again) — ruminating on the future may bring light so that it’d be easier to embrace the truth or adjust when it comes knocking at my door. Acknowledge, that’s the best way. We will all grow old, experience nature’s revenge, and feel age-related discomforts. Time can tell but we may, in one way or another, resort to those I mentioned above. Perhaps even avail of beauty regimen from a renowned doctor, join spirituality programs, enroll in a health program, etc. But no matter what our choices and circumstances can be, if our lives had been lived to the fullest and with a cause (whatever that may be) — growing old isn’t as condemnable as most deem it to be. Ageing can be a beautifully enriching journey.

Now I can smile to that song line “forever young, I want to be forever young”…