On the downhill side

It dawned on me recently that the old "bell curve" comes into our lives off and on. In school, we obsess about the bell curve and our grades. And as I've gotten older, I am again faced with the bell curve, but now it's called "the hill" and I'm on the wrong side.

It's really odd when you realize that you're past your peak. You spend your life trying to grow, change, improve. You work to improve your lifestyle, your looks, your job, whatever. And you can improve these things. Then, all of a sudden, you realize that you will never be quite as good as you are today. You're over the hill and today is as good as you'll ever be again.

I know that sounds depressing. It is depressing. I'm not doing anything different, yet I'm not in as good of shape as I was just 5 years ago. I injure myself now and don't know how it happened. My skin is changing. Everything is changing and the changes aren't good anymore.

So, how do we move from day to day in this new world order? What goals do we have? How do we feel useful? What makes us want to get up in the morning? It's hard. It's so easy to be swept away by these changes and just sit down and act old.

Last May I injured my right knee. I don't know how. I didn't take up rock climbing or anything. I stopped jogging a few years ago because I kept having to take a break because a knee was bothering me or something. I think I do a good mix of cross training with weights and step and pilates and nordic trak, etc. But it took 6 months before I could resume normal activity and workouts. 6 months! And I don't know what I did!

So, I guess this is my new reality. So what's my point? My point is that this stinks and you have to work to keep yourself motivated and interested in life and to enjoy yourself. It's way too easy to have a big pity party and just slide down the wrong side of the bell curve.