Elliott's New Look

 

Thursday, June 28, 2012 – Elliott’s New Look

Even a little pain won’t keep Elliott from maintaining his stylish image.  We went shoe-shopping yesterday and he bought his first-ever pair of Nikes.  And after dinner last night, we went on a date to REI where he bought a pair of khaki shorts, with lots of pockets.  You can see his new sportif look in the photos.  Now all I have to do is convince him to come back to the gym and exercise! 

Continuing this week’s pattern of lunching out, I had a delightful Ethiopian meal yesterday.  My friend Phoebe, who’s a collage artist, joined me at Enat in Alexandria.  I highly recommend their samboussa.  When you bite in, the crispy crackle of the fried wrapper reveals a perfectly spiced filling.  And the vegetarian sampler was plenty for the two of us.  We finished up our eating adventure with some unusual coffee, flavored with cardamom.  By the way, Phoebe’s work is available as cards or prints at her website, SacredSpaces.  I think I should set up a website for Elliott.  I suggested it to him several years ago when I was writing his life story.  He resisted vehemently and I dropped the idea, but it’s finally time to drag him into the 21^st century. 

Thursday was busy with two doctor’s appointments for Elliott.  His orthopedist said there’s not much more he can try for his back pain.  Surgery is out of the question due to his age.  But he thought Elliott should give physical therapy another try.  So we have an appointment scheduled in July with a therapist to set up a program.  In the meantime, at least he has the pain pills. 

Knowing how severe Elliott’s pain is, I try to ignore the little twinges that I occasionally feel.  My neck has hurt for the past couple of days, but I’m pretty sure it’s simply due to some muscle strain from hauling large, heaving paintings around.  I try not to complain.  Being married to a much older spouse means that I’m always the young one (it’s all relative), and there’s a certain expectation that I’ll maintain a youthful image.  But I think a lot about aging and I know that I’m not exactly young anymore.  Especially with the contrasting models of aging that Elliott and my mother present, I wonder what my own future holds.  There’s so much I still want to do – writing, art, travel, and more.  Will I have another 30 years of good mental and physical health, or should I try to fit everything into the next 5-10 years, just in case?