What the heck am I going to write about?

Writer's Block sucks.  A couple of months back, when I started writing this blog, I promised myself that I would try to post something every week.  Sometimes, the calendar helps, such as Passover and Spring and fun things like that.  Other times, something happens in my life that I might want to write about.  This however isn't one of those weeks. 

I'm stuck.  I can't think of a topic to write about.  I'm at a loss for words (I know that many of you will find that hard to believe).  This reminds me of my days in High School when I had to write a research paper for Social Studies or an essay for English Class.  My teachers always said to research the topic, write  an outline, take the outline and create a rough draft, then a final draft and only then should you start typing. 

For those of you who were born after 1990, we didn't have computers in the Stone Age of the 1970s, we actually went to these places called "Libraries" to look things up in "Card Catalogs" and when we typed things up it was using something called a "Typewriter", but I digress.

Anyway, that was what our teachers told us to do, but I always skipped a few steps and went straight from research to typing.  That worked great, except for the times it didn't.  There's nothing like staring at a blank piece of paper at 11:00 pm the night before your assignment's due to get the adrenaline flowing.  Adrenaline yes, creativity no.   I got my assignments done, didn't always get the greatest grades, but I got them done.

And so, dear readers, this is how I feel about this week.

Weight Loss, Friendship and Facebook

I've mentioned in previous posts that I'm trying to lose weight.  I've been on Weight Watchers on and off for about a year now, following the online program.  One thing that I've been doing to "keep myself honest" is post my weekly change as my Facebook status.  All of that brings me to my reason for writing this week, I find that my friends who reply to my weight loss posts are in general in the same boat I am and we're finding ways to support each other. 

Now, I'm not writing this so you will feel sorry for me, after all I've lost over 10 lbs this year and physically I feel better then I have in a while, nor am I writing this to boast, on the opposite side I've gained about 4 lbs over the past 3 weeks.  I'm writing this because I think I've stumbled onto something interesting, that rather then get teased about what I'm doing, I'm getting a lot of support.  I have friends who post encouragement every week and I have friends who give me encouragement in person.

I have one old friend of mine that I reconnected with on Facebook that is going through the same thing that I am and when she posts how she did, I'm always trying to give her some additional encouragement.  I have another friend that I've known for over 45 years that is tackling a very, very difficult problem and being very open about it.  These are friends that I lost touch with and I'm happy that I can support them as they support me.  I have other friends that I see every week that celebrate my good weeks with me and offer me encouragement when I need it.

All in all, I'm finding that Facebook and my friends, both online and in person, are helping me deal with my day to day issues.  I'm glad that we've found each other again.  I guess true friendship always rises to the surface whether it's been 2 weeks or 20 years since we've seen each other.

What is Middle Age?

This is a question that I have been thinking about lately.  In the book of Psalms (Psalm 90 verse 10) it is written: "The length of our days is seventy years--or eighty, if we have the strength..."  So I guess that means that middle ages is officially between 35 and 40 according to the Psalmist, right?  Both of my parent lived until they were 80 years old, so I guess that means that I was middle aged at 40, or does it really?

I'm asking this question, and frankly writing this blog altogether, because I am going to be turning 50 in about a month and a half.  Now, those of you who like to poke fun will tell me that I'm an old man (generally that would be those of you who are just a little older then me, and you know who you are).  Some of you will tell me that I'm still a kid and others still will relate to what I am writing.

So, coming back to my original question, what is Middle Age?  I think it's really a state of mind, and it's all in how you take care of yourself.  I'm in better shape now then I was 5 years ago, I can run further, I can lift more weights and when I play golf, I don't suck that much (okay, that last part was a lie, I still pretty much suck as much at golf as I did when I was 40, 30 or even 20 but that's not age related).  In many ways, I still feel like a kid, and there are many, many times when I certainly act like a kid, whether I have a couple of drinks too many on a Saturday afternoon, or I get upset and pout or do something equally childish.  I guess the key is that I "act young" whatever that means.

Popular culture will tell you that 40 is the new 30 and 50 is the new 40 whatever that means.  The facts are that I'm 49, soon to be 50, and when my parents were that age I thought they were old.  I don't think my children think the same about my wife and me, but you will have to ask them that.  My parents had a much different youth then I did however.  Both of my parents lived through the depression and my father was injured in World War II.  I, on the other hand, grew up in a nice middle class neighborhood in nice middle class Albany.  We weren't rich, but we didn't lack anything either.  So in that case, I guess I am younger at 50 then my parents were.

I guess there is no true answer to the question, and I guess the question is rather silly.  Middle Age is a state of mind, and it is one that I have no intention of being.  I plan on being young and acting young until the day I die.  That's not going to be easy, because I plan on being around for a long, long time to come, with my wife by my side, and both of us in good health and happiness.