This was originally posted on blogger.

Yesterday I had the privilege of hearing what was trobling forty-ish-year-old people.

My co-worker went to the hospital recently for heart problems. She feinted in the middle of the night some years ago. Since then she’s been watching her stress levels.

My other co-worker has heart problems. Something about inconsistent beating. One doctor said he had a stroke. Another doctor said it’s fine. Eventually they put some radioactive substance in his blood to track the flow of it, or something, and after this test they said it was all fine for real.

One was a man I play badminton with in Weiwuying Park. He’s an excellent player and gracious, too. He’s ever-welcoming, easy to chat to, and invites any and all to join the game. Anyways, I was asking him what he gets up to at home once he’s done with badminton. He said he eats dinner with his family, then goes for a walk. The doctor says it’s not good to sit around right after a big dinner. And moreover, he recently started taking small insulin tablets. One a day, which is not much, but to him, it’s permanent. Diabetes is no small thing, and once you start on those pills, he said, you can’t go back.

My other co-worker (last one) always has back pain issues. Sometimes I’ve been asked to sub for her for it.

These instances come up now and again. When I was younger, hearing these stories would bore me because, well, I’m far away from that point in life. But these days, I teach across the hall from these people, or play badminton on the other side of the court from them. And moreover, I’ll turn forty some day.

Health is one of those things that worries everyone, no matter your age. I think at forty, maybe work and marriage and groceries have more or less been worked out. But not the changes to your body. Not especially natural deterioration, which happens over the course of several decades.

My instinct is to say, I’ll stay healthy, watch my sugar levels, regularly exercise, etc. But that truthfully only staves off reality. I’ll have health issues at some point in my life (in fact, I already have had injuries from biking without handlebars and things like that). When I turn forty, I hope I’ll be able to accept that these things are basically inevitable*.

* unless there’s anti-aging remedies or uploaded consciousness by then, which is possible but I’m not holding my breath.