Getting older vs. getting old

When I bought cat food at my vet's today, the receptionist insisted (despite my protests) that one of the young vet helpers carry the bag to my car. It was just a ten pound bag. I could easily carry it (which I did when I brought it into the house). I should add that we share medical updates, since she also has some ticker problems, and Sweetie suggested that she might've heard of my recent Mayo trip.

It make me feel kinda old. I guess I am getting older, but I'm really trying hard not to get old.

Old is "it's too loud, turn it down;" old is "we can't do it that way, this is the way we've always done it;" old is "I don't want to understand;" old is "I can't hear you but I'm not listening anyway;" old is "I won't ever change."

Older is "whoa, what's that? never heard that before;" older is "this is the way I used to do it (and why), show me how you do it;" older is "I'm not sure I understand, would you explain it to me?;" older is "I'm curious, what's your opinion?;" older is "change keeps things a helluva lot more interesting & amusing."

Some of you may know that I never expected to live this long. Even as a teen, I believed that I had a relatively short life expectancy because of my bum ticker. Of course, medical science marches on, and they're performing procedures now that were unthinkable even twenty years ago. It gives me hope, it keeps me going; I just want to keep getting older now, because there's so much more to see and it's entirely possible that I might get a chance to see it.

But I never want to get old.