Member-only story
How Did I Get So Old So Fast?
On aging, falling over, body changes and learning to slow down
I was in my 50s when it occurred to me that time was speeding up. The days had started to whizz by.
When I was a kid time seemed to pass by so slowly. The summer holidays would stretch on endlessly and I would look forward to getting back to school and seeing all my friends again. I was sick of hanging out with my annoying sisters.
Christmas would take forever to arrive.
A boring class at school seemed interminable.
There was always something on the horizon that seemed impossibly far off and my impatience meant that I squirmed with frustration. I seemed to be constantly waiting.
So, in my 50s when time started speeding up, I remarked on this to my aunt who was in her 80s by that stage and lived into her early 90s.
‘You’re telling me!’ she said. Paula was a keen gardener, and justifiably proud of her beautiful garden; she worked hard to keep it looking fabulous.
‘I go out into my garden after breakfast — and next thing I know, the sun’s going down!’
I giggled at the notion.
But it’s true, and the older I get the more time seems to speed up.
