Things I Don't Like at 48

What follows is a list of things I don't like about being 48. These are, of course, only the mentionable things--

that I have to put on my glasses just to see what I'm putting on this list

that I'm never sure what body part will protest loudest when I roll out of bed in the morning

that my memory won't hold as much as I want or need it to, that it has apparently been full for a while now and that I can't expect an upgrade

that my older son is grown and my younger is nearly so

that time truly flies and that it gets faster as it goes

that almost all the music I like is 15-20 years old, at least

that at work I feel constantly threatened with being sucked into administration

that I have precious little time to read or write and that the little time I have I manage poorly

that friendships from the easy days of childhood are all but gone

that the deeper friendships developed in the days before work and marriage have settled comfortably into the distance

that new and deep friendship seems impossible to establish in the face of the demands of work and home

that it's time for my midlife crisis and that I can't tell what shape it's going to take

that after 9/11 I can no longer trust a clear blue sky

that the world seems to be getting worse rather than better and that this shouldn't have been totally unexpected

that I wrestle with God more than I want to

that I have to leave this list and head out the door to meet yet another commitment