Mid-life Awareness

I'm realizing more often that the division between people who are younger than me and those who are older than me is pretty much even. Of course, it depends on the situation, but for the most part the division is equal. The first time I really realized that I was older was when players getting drafted to the NBA were younger than me. The next time was when players making the NBA All-star team were younger than me. Now, 90% of the NBA is younger than me. Basically, I'm no longer in my physical prime. That is why I've learned to love golf. There are still a majority of PGA golfers who are older than me. Once that changes, I'll start watching the Senior Tour. Man, even watching poker tournaments makes me feel old. I guess even mental acuity is strongest in your 20's and early 30's. Maybe it's just me, but it makes me wonder how smart older people really are. I'm sure they are wise with experience, but do our decision making skills suffer with age? I know for me, my memory is definitely not what it used to be. If I don't write something down, I will surely forget it. I've resorted to emailing myself to remind me of my thoughts throughout the day. I'm always impressed by these kids who can remember everything. And when I say kids, I mean these 20-somethings. You can ask them to compare the iPhone vs EVO and they will break it down as if they built both devices. All I can tell you is that iPhone is Apple and EVO is Android aka Google. If you ask me why I prefer the iPhone, its because its easy to use, and that, my friends, is enough for me. It's the same reason we decided to get a Mac rather than another PC, easy of use. Shoot, I've rebooted my Mac probably 3 times this year. I've already rebooted my work laptop at least 3 times today. I guess that's another thing I'm aware of at my age. I'm no longer interested in how much more you can do with things, I'm more concerned with how easy it is to use.

Another thing I'm starting to realize is what I'm willing to pay for things. When I was younger, cost was everything. If I could save 30 cents driving 5 miles to get cheaper gas, I did. It didn't make sense, but at that time if I thought I was spending less, then I did it. Going to the market, I would by all generic items. The 99cent store was my favorite. Value meals at fast food joints were a staple in my diet. Now, I go to the nearest gas station. Unless the gas is ridiculously over-priced, I don't sweat it. I'm not married to any particular type of gas either. Going to the market is now an experience for me. I'm not going to the market that has the best deals, I'm looking for a calm atmosphere with quality goods. Eating out is now a quest for great service and culinary awakenings. All these things bring peace and serenity to my life. Perhaps I'm just preparing myself for the madness that will come with children.