That plucky prostate!

Last Sunday in church, my prostate spoke to me. It wasn’t audible, but I heard it loud and clear. I located a restroom quickly to relieve myself. When I entered the restroom, older men took up all the stalls. They were all staring strait ahead like worshippers at the Wailing Wall, praying for relief. Behind them were other older men waiting for their chance to step up to the wall. I realized that no one was going anywhere for a while. The older you get the slower you go. Literally! I realized that when the going gets tough... the tough desperately seek restrooms.

Age has brought some interesting changes. This is one. I experience an urgent need, I rush, and I must admit, the older I’ve gotten, the meaning of the word “dribbling” has changed for me from a physical activity to a physical condition.

To be honest, I would like this condition to go away. I have consulted with my doctor who performed a delightful prostate check. It was so intimate, I wondered if we should smoke cigarettes after it was over. He stated that everything appeared fine, that this is a condition that will come and go, and I just have to get used to it.

Get used to it?

Acceptance is the work of getting older. The term “aging gracefully” means accepting the changes that come with getting older.

The harsh truth is that our bodies don’t function at peak levels forever. My kids said to me that they would never put on the weight that I have gained. We’ll see when their metabolism slows.

The opposite of acceptance is denial. I struggle accepting reality. I want to deny death and I want to deny decline.

So these prostate changes are one of many alarm bells to rouse me from complacency. My goal is to accept, accommodate, and persist.

There’s no sense in encouraging the restroom gang to speed things up. They’re going as fast as they can. However, standing in line attempting to reason with a bladder I realize that all of us in this little room are part of a club that the young just can’t comprehend. The reality is that someday, if they live long enough, they will.