This getting old thing is a royal pain in the butt, I’m here to tell you. Actually at the moment it’s a royal pain in the back, as a coughing fit I had some weeks ago when I was deep into a winter cold seems to have strained a muscle back there.
And I’ve got a big burn spot on my right hand from a grease spatter when I was frying chicken last week (not exactly due to age, but still). And I went on a long walk last week and wore a little hole in the skin on top of my foot (seems like thin skin is another affliction of the old).
But the thing that really got my goat is that during this long multi-month cold and cough I could not sing a lick. Sometimes I get a cold that transforms my voice into a deep bass. When that happens I often think I should get a recorder of some sort and put down some bass tracks for my own gospel album. But this time I got all hoarse and squeaky and finally my voice was mostly a whisper.
The cough very slowly faded. I go to a monthly jam and missed two months of singing because of the cold. Then last weekend we hosted an overnight party at an old lodge on Mt. Tamalpais, where several of the guests were bluegrass pickers. This is a group I love to sing with. We play all sorts of stuff on Saturday afternoon, cook a big dinner, and then play until bedtime.
Sunday morning we do Gospel Hour, which is my favorite part of the weekend because I love singing harmony. Happily my throat was nearly back to normal, and with an occasional cough drop I was able to participate. But it makes one think.
This weekend I will turn 75. People I know and love seem to be dropping like flies. How long will I be able to do the things I love? Until I hurt my back this last time, I could still stand and play my banjo for three or four hours with no problem. But last weekend had to sit down. I’m assuming that muscle will heal, but what if it doesn’t?
Will my voice get back to real normal anytime soon? I already have a hard time playing mandolin chords due to some arthritis issues. Will the banjo be next?
This is making me depressed. I need to go on YouTube and watch the ending of “The Life of Brian” again.
Always look on the bright side of life!
