Decline
Decline - Definition (deteriorate, loss of strength or weaker in condition). My mother recently turned 94 years old, and I can see a gradual decline in her physical and mental abilities, and it got me thinking, “Do we only see those around us decline and not ourselves?” We are obviously aware that we are aging (if you celebrate birthdays) and for example, we might stumble to recall the name of a movie or a person’s name, but it eventually comes to us (hours later unless we employ Google for the immediate answer), so we aren’t too concerned. The mirror reflects what we believe we see versus the true picture (a little self-deception). The point, it is much easier and clearer to see those around us get older than we ever imagine it ourselves. We also accept certain realities (like our 40-yard dash times are not what they used to be) but the brain is a remarkable organ that protects us from certain realities. The brain can even convince us that we get better with age and improve (like wine) but keep in mind that wine exposed to certain bacteria and oxygen can turn into vinegar. The moral to the story, avoiding certain bacteria and oxygen will keep us young (but avoiding oxygen might be a another problem).