"NO GUTS ANYMORE!"

“NO GUTS ANYMORE!”

Okay face it: I have no guts anymore to do the things I used to love to do! None. Used to ride the front seat of a roller coaster and love every minute of it. Used to ride a bike and let go of the handles and not crash! Used to dive into water anywhere to swim—didn’t really matter where it was. Loved going on a sled down the hill in the snow and never minded walking back up. Loved making snowmen—the bigger the better. Loved swimming in an open pool in the fall when it was cold; made me shiver but it was exhilariting.  Loved roller skating and could even do it backwards.

Now with the advance of age I will do none of the above ever! What is it that sets fear in us as we get older? Is it the rationalization that we know we could get hurt when before we didn’t think about that? I can tell you one thing and that is that there is no way on earth that I would even get on a roller coaster much less sit in the front seat. Ride a bike? Are you crazy? Do I want to live in a body cast? I don’t think so! Diving into water? Yes, I might do that in a pool that I am familiar with but never in a river like I used to do. And why?  I would break every bone in my body ---that’s why!

As for sleigh riding no way! Still have my sled and yes, I also used to go down my hill while sitting on a garbage bag flying all the way down. My driveway scares me in the snow and I have fallen several times so forget sleigh riding period. And how could I walk back up my hill? I can’t walk up it in the summer much less in the winter with ice and snow. As for making snowmen, I still do that every year but they are about a foot tall—for I can’t take the severe cold anymore [or severe heat either!] Still have my metal roller skates but gave away my white lace up leather ones long ago. Could you see me out skating on my old metal skates? Just the thought of it scares me and there is no way I am doing it.

Face it: I am not brave anymore. No guts and definitely no glory. It’s a shame it is this way but I know darned well I am not alone! I loved what the late Erma Bombeck said of skiing: “I do not like a sport like skiing where there is an ambulance waiting down at the bottom of the hilll.” Bombeck hit the nail on the head. How did she know I would feel that way too? I know how:  It comes with age for you just lose your guts to do things.

Sherry Hill