re: When did you realize you were getting older and not a spring chicken anymore?

Also at the grocery checkout when in my mid 40's sporting salt & pepper hair and the very young lady running the cash register gave me the "Senior Discount" on my purchases.

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I tried snowboarding at 36. Didn’t go well.

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Mine was skiing at 45. Never got off the bunny slope in two days and hurt for a week after we got back.

At 48 or so ( 5 years back) when my near vision went out, couldn’t read the date on an old dime in the drive thru anymore, and had to get glasses for the first time.

I played basketball against my son and a bunch of his friends. They were all college athletes. I was 46 years old and in pretty good shape. That was a painful lesson.

I am now playing golf a lot more.

This may sound simplistic, but it kind of is: the way you treat your body is akin to how your treat your car in terms of future performance and longevity.

Like a new car, a young body can still perform well, look good, and look the same no matter how well or poorly you take care of it. The difference shows up in the middle to later years of the lifespan of the car, as does the human body.

Do you exercise 5 days a week? Do you eat good, natural foods regularly? Do you get enough sleep? Do you hydrate with water? Do you significantly limit your alcohol and drug intake compared to your younger years? Do you use lotion for your skin? Do you read good books and stay engaged and on an upward trajectory in your profession? Do you have good friends? Do you treat others well? Do you and your spouse have a good relationship?

Much like a car with a lot of parts, it's a lot to keep everything in your life in tip-top shape with a lot going on.

But for the most part, if you make a concerted effort to answer "yes" to all of the above, you will not fail.

I feel, look, and act better now at 31 than I did at 22 and I see no reason why I can't continue to improve as many men who make concerted efforts in their 30s and 40s for many ages.

21 - knee surgeries x2
35-42 - SI joint fusion, C5/6 fusion, right shoulder major surgery, left shoulder less major surgery, numerous epidurals

My body hates me. I can't feel my pinky and ring finger on my left hand, and my thumb and pointer on my right. I have another electrical shock going from my left shoulder blade to my hand, which means the degenerated disc(s) in my thoracic spine are ready to come out as well, or my nerves are just permanently screwed in that area from so much trauma.

When I moved back to Louisiana in 2020

When a pretty girl walked up to me in a bar and said, "Sir, do you know what time it is?"