I am a month away from my birthday so its time for my annual "I am getting old" column. I go ahead and get it out of the way early each year so I won't be depressed on my birthday.
Don't get me wrong. I am thankful for all my birthdays and hope to have a lot more. It's just that it's hard to believe I am going to be 44.

Oh, I know what you are thinking. "You don't look a day over 29, Tommy."
That is what you are thinking, isn't it?
Well anyway, the years have taken their toll on my body.
I played tennis about a half an hour the other day with our 20-something sports editor, Corbitt.
Corbitt had me go ahead and type in 9-1-1 on my cell phone so he could just hit "send" in case I went down.

We were both buoyed by the fact a Lifestar helicopter is stationed only a few thousand feet from the tennis courts in Sweetwater in case something happened to me.
I made it through our tennis workout without a heart attack.

But a short time later while I was at the grocery store chasing Lauren, I had two joints go out on me.
My knees pop all the time, but this time a knee and an ankle joint blew out on me. I managed to stay standing, however the next time I'll probably hit the floor.

I used to pride myself on being skinnier and more flexible than people half my age. At one time, I could put both my feet behind my head. Now I can only put two feet in my mouth!
The other day, Lauren, and granted she is only 7, did some kind of backward stand or whatever you call it. Somehow she arched her back and raised herself from the floor using only her head and feet.
Long story short, Daddy tried it and after several shouts of "Mommy, come help me get Daddy up" our yoga session ended.

I guess as much as I gripe publicly about being old, somewhere in my mind I think I am still 21.
Maybe that's the best way to be with a little Aspirin now and then.

tommy.millsaps@advocateanddemocrat.com | 337-7101