Mark Twain

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do ...
Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain

Friday, April 12, 2019

K - Kinks


K is for Kinks

#AtoZChallenge 2019 Tenth Anniversary blogging from A to Z challenge letter

If you are under 50 you probably don't know what I am talking about
when I say "kinks."  
Over 50?
 I bet you do!


I remember being a morning person in my 20s and 30s.  That sunny morning disposition died miserably somewhere in my 40s.  

Mornings became a periods of "adjustment."  Could I get out of bed without injuring myself, without talking to anyone, without losing my way to the coffee pot, without burning myself with hot coffee - and - without spilling it on my way to my LazyBoy recliner to sit take that first sip ...  all those individual victories without caffeine.

Much of my morning routine now is based on avoidance activities - honoring the messages my body sends about little "kinks" that must be eased out gently before anything too demanding is done ... like answering the telephone.

And after about age 65 - those "kinks" need to be considered at other points during the day as well ... like ...
  • Like when I attempt to turn over around 3:00 am and my calf muscle seizes up with excruciating screaming pain.  My actual 'favorite' experience (NOT) was when BOTH legs seized up at the same time. Attempting to jump out of bed to break the cramp looked like I was trying to balance on 2 broken legs!  My husband is legally blind so he missed my herculean effort.  
  • Like when I get out of bed in the morning and my body says "Not so fast. Walk carefully and deliberately no matter what your bladder is saying."
  • Like when I attempt to get out of my car after a long drive, and my back and knees remind me - "Hey, you must be kidding, we've been sitting quietly for over an hour - and NOW you want us to jump into action??"
  • Like when I have been knitting for a few glorious hours stress free hours, binge watching my favorite Netflix shows, and I decide to release my fingers from a knitting needle to scratch my nose and I hear the message radiating up my arm from my fingers - "You can knit or you can scratch but you can't do both so close together!!" 
These are the "kinks of my 70s." 
 I can hardly wait to experience the future kinks.
The Kinks of my 80s
The Kinks of my 90s  

8 comments:

Leigh said...

I can definitely relate to this! Except, thankfully, I've never had cramps in both legs at the same time! Whew, that must have been a tough one.

Alana said...

How I remember my impatience, as a child, listening to my aunts and uncles complain about their aches and pains. Now I know. For me, a lot of it is back issues. By the way I use an Amish leg cramp remedy made with apple cider vinegar and it works great if you take it before bed or even in the middle of the cramp.

Marie Smith said...

The kinks are a big part of aging for sure. I hate those related to getting up off or down to the floor. I feel really old when I have to do that. Knee problems!

Susan said...

That second paragraph had me howling. We must be twins - in all but the recliner.

Lael said...

Oh I have so much to look forward to, lol!
This is great post, I laughed so hard! <3
I swear, as soon as I hit 40, the kinks started. I find it oddly reassuring to know it's normal.

John Holton said...

Believe me, I know exactly what this is like. Especially the thing about standing up after a couple hours of sitting.

John @ The Sound Of One Hand Typing

happyone said...

I am so very blessed not to have gotten to the kinks stage yet!!
Doesn't seem to be a 'kink' in your sense of humor!!:)

Helen said...

Boy, I'm feeling all of these. The car ride inaction that requires some stretching before trying to stand bothers me the most...mostly because most of the family is a long drive away.