Fab40 foibles

Things to do when you’re 40 #1- Get in Shape

 

In a survey I read recently (turn40.net) people were asked to vote on what they wanted to do when they turned 40, a few things spring to mind, the first being – why wait until you’re 40? Especially when nearly everything on the list would have been easier before.

As the title suggests, the most popular suggestion was to get fit. I suppose it’s a “now-or-never” theory, but even I can see this would have been easier to do when younger, unless of course, like many of us you’re just coming out of the twilight zone of young mum exhaustion and have finally found the energy (and someone to put up with your kids) to allow you to get out and do some sport.

I can smugly say, “I’m already there thank you very much”. That is one thing I’ve noticed about fit people, they can be a little bit smug, I supposed they feel they deserve it; it’s a reward for not eating all the biscuits. Oh, I’m not going to let the fact I’m in shape stop me teasing others sporties, just as I still feel like a smoker despite having stopped a few years ago, I’m still secretly a sofa spud.

I’ve been running for about two years now, and I have to admit it’s addictive. It took me a while to come out of the sports closet, for years I had pretty openly mocked sad, sporty types, I mean have you ever seen anyone smile while they’re running? It’s not actually good for your knees/ankles/etc. I’d much rather sit here and have another drink with friends and scoff a little more. However when I tried it I found I actually enjoyed it. It’s exhilarating and while I probably don’t actually smile when I run, I do when I stop, lots. When I try to explain that it feels so good when you stop, my brother always points out pouring vinegar into your eyes has the same effect.

Anyway, I won’t go on, I know from past experience there’s nothing worse than a running bore, and anyone who talks about running to one of the non-converted is a bore. I have also noticed that you can spot a runner because they say they run, everyone else says they jog.

My moment of Realisation

Although I’m as aware as anyone that I’m getting older every year, I’ve never felt old, until recently that is. Our social circles mean that I’m often one of the youngest people present at any event, and at work I’m pretty much in the middle, the dinosaurs on one side and the spring chicks on the other. If I may be so modest as to say so, a lot of people think I’m younger than my actual age, probably because I behave in such an immature way.

So my road to Damascus moment came as a bit of a surprise. It started harmlessly enough, having dinner with friends from work, one of whom had brought his girlfriend along. We were chatting about Chinese horoscopes; they’re not very flattering are they? I mean Capricorn sounds much sexier than goat doesn’t it? Anyway I mentioned that I was a rat, and girlfriend piped up that she was too. The discussion moved on while it slowly dawned on me that she was therefore twelve years younger than me.

TWELVE YEARS YOUNGER THAN ME, I was at a restaurant with someone twelve years my junior. People that much younger than me weren’t allowed out to play after school, and were definitely too young to go to restaurants without their parents. Except she wasn’t, too young that is, she was a grown up with a flat, a job and a car, so if she was an adult, what did that make me? Old, is the answer. This came as a shock because it was the first time I’d ever felt that much older than anyone in that kind of situation. I mean, obviously I’m aware that I’m older than some people, my very good friend is a couple of years younger than me, my partner in coffee is probably at least five years younger than me, but I’ve never actually felt older than any of them, noot that much older at any rate.

I have since been informed that, like love, the first cut is the deepest and I’m learning to live with moments like these, the other day for example I made a comment about JR and the person I was talking to didn’t even know who I meant.

Have you had your defining moment yet??