No Body Parts, Please

I have a rule I like to establish before we start casual conversations with friends or relatives. I won't tell them my aches and pains and I don't want to hear about theirs.

Let's talk about anything else. Face it, we're all around that age when things start to, how shall I put it, crumble? Too soft a word? How about break down or fall apart?

My tennis buddies, bless their souls, are a perfect example. One stalwart bowed out this year because of bad knees. Another suffered a serious eye injury when he was hit by a tennis ball. Soon thereafter, his life was further complicated by first a shoulder injury and then a knee problem. He's out for a while.

I haven't played tennis since my bursitis kicked up but I sense it slowly coming around. I hope to get back to the courts by the end of May. If anyone else is still standing to play with.

And worst of all, a very close friend survived a heart attack by minutes. He's recovering very well, thank you, but once again we are reminded of our mortality.

So we have our aches and pains and once in a while we'll share them one on one but, please, not in a group setting. I'd rather hear about the grandchildren and the great-grandchildren complete with pictures.

Or, read any good books lately?