Gingerly Navigating My Way

As I hobble into the next decade, I find myself struggling with age progression anxiety.
“Oh come on now,” said my doctor, I wouldn’t consider you “elderly”.
Since I had just gone through a litany of aches and pains felt in more than a few of my body parts, talked extensively about those little black dots that seem to float in front of my eyes lately, and “Yes, I said, “everything I eat gives me heartburn”, I was puzzled by her comment.
I like my doctor.  She looks directly at me when I am talking, nodding appropriately, but was she really hearing me?
It’s kind of interesting, it seems Ross and I have moved to a location which has attracted like-aged people.  As our congregation continues to grow and it is growing, the landscape of the area continues to evolve.
Old Pathmark supermarkets, going out of business K-marts, and even restaurants that couldn’t make a go of it have now been turned into rehabs, urgent care facilities, and orthopedic centers.
Our local hospital has expanded twice in the 15 years we have lived here.
Perhaps my doctor made the remark about me not being “elderly” because she has treated patients much more age advanced than me, with more serious ailments than I have.  Or, okay maybe she was just being kind.
In any event, my age progression anxiety is real.  Is there a support group I could join?  Will the talk be filled with knee surgeries, “remember when’s”, “where did I put my keys?” and whose funeral is on “Thursday?”
Or perhaps the talk will be of interesting experiences, enlightened perspectives, astute opinions  and of course grandchildren
Who else, but those of us who have extensively age progressed, would be able to advise, nurture, coach and enlighten the ones who are on the road following in our well worn treads?
Sadly, I’ve sometimes learned the value of the wise most when the wise were no longer here to ask.
I suppose as I maneuver my way through the next 10 years, I will manage to figure it out as I go, just as I did through all the others of tens of years.