“You haven’t changed.”

I have heard that a few times since High School.  With high school far more than just a decade ago, the simple statement could be confused with a compliment.  The California friend I had lunch with earlier in the week also made this observation.  I have met him possibly five, but not over 10 times in the past 15 years.  If I use this 15-year window, it might better explain the lack of observable aging.  As is often the case, there are many possible reasons why this could be occurring.  And, should I choose, I might mention a few of the reasons I am sure aging is not ignoring my body.

• This comment seems to go mostly from men, although my wife does not dispute its validity.  At a quick glance, I seem to have everything I had in high school.  My weight is within 5% of my later teenage years.  My theory for this is “basic training.”  Immediately after high school, I went off for the Army National Guard.  In the 2-month period, I was there, I lost 8% of my body weight.  It took 4 or 5 years to get back to my high school weight.  Within the first class reunion behind me, I had people confused as to what my overall body mass was.  Additionally, my mother always claimed I put extra weight on in the wintertime, and I was “big-boned”.  Having known many of the friends through a few Ohio snowfalls, my body has been a co-conspirator in my perceived body weight.
• My hairline is seemingly unchanged compared to many of my peers.  Appearance can be deceiving.  I know there has been a slow and steady retreat towards the top of my head.  My daily visits to the mirror confirm this.  If their “hair loss” awards me youth points, then I will accept this as “good genes”.
• My support socks do give some evidence I am getting older.  As I talked with my sons the other night, “varicose veins are not great genes, but there are far worse.”  If I need to feel old when I look at my legs, I also need to remind myself they walked 6 miles this morning.
• As we grow older, grooming habits have to change.  I have had to change my habits, and I don’t enjoy it.  While the top of my head has kept much of its hair, what I have lost has migrated to places formally needing no maintenance.
• Could the observations be compromised?  Could their eyes, memories, or minds be aging at an unaccountable pace?  Am I aging correctly, while the expectation of those complimenting me is the origin of the problem?
• Some clear indicators of age easily slip unnoticed.  I may not appear gray, but wait to see how I look after not shaving for a few days.  Possibly I am misremembering, but I seem to have groupings of darker pigment on the back of my hands.  Could they possibly be spots?
• I have taken my vitamins for years.  As my age changes, I have adjusted the bottles tucked under my sink.  Whether it is the vitamins or the daily awareness of eating well, I will let someone wiser decide.
• The most important factor may be the strongest indication I have been doing the right thing for the past few years–my life is low stress.  Yes, my kids and my business have given me moments of stress.  Yet, the stress has been of the short-lived variety.  I have dealt with the stress of being self-employed.  (I have found this stress far better than in some office environments.) And, I have dealt with the stress of having more kids (both bio and non-biological) in our house than was reasonable.  Hugs would not fix the problems they created. Usually, my wife stepped in before I started banging heads together.  Could I also mention marrying well is a good way to keep the stress down?  Oh, and I don’t put up with friends that are great at creating stress.  If they don’t change, we spend much less time together.

I have warned my wife that I may wake up one morning and have aged a decade.  But, until then, I will enjoy the ride and not be a braggart.    Genes are a dice roll, but I try to do what I can to help the genes along.