I’m thinking and thinking about how fit I used to be, mind and body. I was at work late yesterday and I decided to look through some old folders. I stumbled on some pictures and notes from 10 years ago. 22 year old ARod.

When I look at these pictures, I see my face, leaner, my body smaller, always clean shaven, perfectly groomed hair, eyebrows plucked and trimmed, and just an overall more vibrant image of myself. Clearly I cared about my appearance back then, more than I have of late.

Every thursday was grooming day, I’d not only do my eyebrows, but my chest, legs, toes, balls, I mean I groomed to the T! I didn’t mess around. I was a clear and through metrosexual, if I didn’t bang and like girls, along with everyone else I too would have questioned my sexual preference back then.

In contrast I look at pictures of myself now, and I look drained, heavier, unshaven for the most part, and just overall worn out and tired looking. Bummily dressed, just not caring as much as I used to.

The tasks that were a part of my life, I find them so tiring and annoying to do lately. I still do them, don’t get it twisted, but I do them with much less frequency. Though on grooming days I feel great! I see a fat shadow of my past greatness, but still it feels good.

Can 10 years do so much damage to us? My mind I am certain has gotten more mature, and I believe I am a better person. Yet time has not spared my mind along with my body, I struggle to remember things, more often than not I find myself forgetting simple things.

More and more I am becoming ever dependent on my handheld smart phone to assist me in remembering things, in this case my blackberry, and sometimes Christine or Aneil remind me of stuff. Basically if you need or want something from me, remind me, or make sure I put it on my calendar.

A few days ago, I was doing some simple math to calculate a tip after having dinner at a restaurant with Christine, and I saw the numbers, I knew the process required, but I could not add them, I just blanked out.. It took me a few seconds to make sense of what I was trying to do and figure out the simple objective of adding a series of simple numbers.

This scares me to no end. I’m 32 years old. Barely at the middle of my life cycle, I hope, and I’m forgetting basic mathematics? That’s scary. Not to mention simple things like “why did I walk into the kitchen”.

My body is stiff and tighter than most people my age and even people much older, I’ve lost range of motion on my wrists, I have high blood pressure, I get headaches often, and God forbid I miss a meal, my body goes berserk.

I hope something clicks in my head and that I can get a glimpse at what I used to be. For my own sake, and for the sake of the ones I love.

A toast to long life and health for myself, and for all of you!