Middle age

Middle age is being revised upward. Where age 40 to 60 used to comprise middle age now it is more like 55 to 65. A 45 year old may be offended if you refer to her as middle age. I feel quite "middle aged" in my men's Bible study group where half of the men are older than me, many years older in some cases. They are getting on very well, too. Studies tell us many adults are only getting launched into their adult lives at 30! And we have heard that 75 is the new 60 and so forth. Still there are some not so subtle signs one cannot miss that point to middle age. You might be middle age if: you not only feel like taking a nap most days but you actually do, or if you groan a lot when you bend over or stand up (my granddaughter asked my wife why grandpa makes so many funny noises, he's just old I guess), or if 9:00 has become bedtime instead of the time you leave home to do something, or if you watch what you drink after 6pm because - well if you know, then you might be middle aged, or if you prefer NPR to noisy radio stations, or if you add more fiber to your daily oatmeal, or if you would rather watch Masterpiece Theater than Modern Family, or if you have started calling your daily walk your workout, or if  you regularly substitute a salad for french fries and only eat one side of the bun with your hamburger, or if you have toyed with the idea of having a light beer, or if your dentist is talking about refilling your fillings, or you suddenly have an inordinate interest in your blood lab reports and what all those numbers mean, or if you are losing hair in places you always had it and start growing it in places you never did. If you are noticing some of these things you may be middle age.