I drank a LOT of coffee when I was in my 20s – sometimes five or six cups a day at work, and quite often even more later in the evening should I happen to find myself out with friends. And when I was in my 20s, I could actually handle it.
I remember many a late evening of long restaurant chats, solving all the world’s problems over countless refills of strong black coffee (as an aside, I took my coffee with milk and sugar at first, but learned early on to drink it – and love it – black to avoid the extra calories) – then heading home, immediately falling asleep, and waking up refreshed and ready for work the next morning (well, as refreshed as a non-morning person can ever be!).
Ah, youth.
These days I pretty much have to stick with my one delicious cup of coffee every morning and leave it at that. I might have another if I go out during the day, but unless it’s the weekend and I can afford to stay up late and sleep in the next morning, I don’t dare add caffeine to my system past suppertime.
But yesterday one thing led to another and I ended up going completely off the rails. I had my usual morning coffee, which was followed by a Venti iced coffee with milk when I was out with friends, a can of Coke at the restaurant where Peter and I ate dinner, and, to top it all off, an enormous bubble tea to round out my caffeinated debauch.
And I rudely (and speedily) got the memo that I am no longer in my 20s (or even my 30s, for that matter!) with a super late night, unsatisfying sleep, and queasy, caffeine-hangover stomach today.
On the plus side, I did manage to stay up and finish a piece of artwork! And as Monday is my day off and I didn’t have other plans that took me out of the house, I was able to sleep in and then have a late afternoon nap.
But I can’t say I’m fond of these reminders that I am fast aging and can no longer handle the things that were once of no real concern. Of course aging is better than the alternative… but days like this I miss the youth I didn’t value enough when it was mine.
What little things bother you about aging?
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