HOW THINGS ARE GOING
I am fortunate that I have none of the conditions associated with age, except perhaps for two blossoming bunions, whose further development I can curb by keeping my toes lifted and spreading; and because I’ve noticed my knees are prone to bend farther backwards than they used to, when I stand and walk, I do now work to keep them intentionally bent (which has the benefit of also strengthening my thighs); and while I have a slight ache at my outer elbows and a forward-rounding of my shoulders, I can avoid both if keep my elbows bent, too, and drawn back, like I’m pulling on bowstrings; and although my wrists hurt sometimes, they do not hurt at all if I keep them straight, my hands flat, like paddles; and if the curve between my left shoulder and the left side of my neck often aches at night, this is altogether preventable by keeping my left ear very close to my left shoulder throughout the day; fortunately, I’ve found I can stop my eyebrows from furrowing by simply lifting them into an expression of astonishment; I can stave off both the downward-turn of my mouth and the upward crinkle of my chin if I just keep my bottom lip pulled up over my upper lip and grin, and in doing so must succeed at looking more like the good-natured and approachable not-yet-old person I mean to be, for people whose names I don’t remember always remember mine, and even recognize me from great distances.
Glint Literary Journal 