Tough Enough to Grow Old?

I'm in my mid fifties and feeling the effects of aging more than ever. I see the little fatigues creep in as my body disintegrates at a glacial--pre climate change--pace. I feel the toll of sitting in a chair too long while writing, with stiff joints and lack of muscle tone. I can no longer do aikido like I used to and it makes me wistful.

At least I'm exercising my mind you might say, but that's going too. My memory is like waiting at an airport  luggage carousel as I search to remember the name of an actor or who the hell I was talking to last week on some subject.

Gone  as well  is eating whatever I wanted in wild abandon. Now I read food labels and decide which forbidden ingredient I can gamble on without too much damage to the digestive track.

The worst part is gaining the courage to age gracefully and give up the youthful myth of invincibility. Now I know why so many old folks are bitchy, they're not surrendering easily and neither am I.