How much of a difference does nine years make??? Here is an example.

Mama P and Mama M have started walking in the morning. We both know that we are in terrible shape and as we get older this will take a terrible toll on our longevity. Mama P is retired but Mama M is still working so Mama P was able to begin walking 5 days earlier than Mama M. Being very enthusiastic, Mama M suggested that we walk to the local supermarket and back. The thing to understand is that the local market is about one mile downhill from our house which means that on the second half of the walk we would be going uphill the entire way. After convincing her that the idea was a good one but maybe a little too aggressive for beginning walkers she agreed to work up to the task by taking a few shorter walks for awhile. So, beginning this past Saturday, she followed me on one of my established routes which incorporates about a mile of walking a combination of uphill, downhill and flat surfaces. On Sunday, we tried a new route which quickly turned into a minor mistake. We got turned around in the housing tract and ended up walking almost 2 miles before we found our way back to the main street and home. We both really felt the sore and stiff that afternoon but were proud of ourselves for the accomplishment.

On Monday, Mama M had sore calfs and I had a pain in my right butt cheek that would not go away. We went back to one of the established routes from before because we did not want to take a chance of injury.

So, to get back to the question at the beginning of this epistle, this morning we decided to try the walk to the local market. We left at 7am when the air was cool and the sky brilliant with the rising sun. Going downhill was easy and we were even able to converse while walking. The problems began on the way back. Once we turned around and started back I realized just how daunting the climb was going to be. Mama M was feeling great and began bounding up the hill at a brisk pace. Here is where the 9 years comes in, that is the difference in our ages. I am 9 years older than her never has it been more evident than on this walk. The pain in my buttock was increasing as quickly as my inability to breathe. The space between us began to widen quickly but I vowed not to give up even as Mama M turned around to mock me. She tried to cover her delight at outpacing me by showing a concern that did not seem very sincere. I think that at one point she even started skipping. I know that she was speaking to me but I couldn't hear her due to the sound of my breathing (wheezing) and my silent screams due to the searing pain in my buttock. All I could think about was how just last week I had explained about the life insurance policy I had that made her the beneficiary. The distance between has grown to the point that I could no longer see her but I could hear her mocking laugh far into the distance.

Well, needless to say, I foiled her diabolical plan and made it home. As I stated before, we left the house at 7am. She returned at 8am. I returned in time for lunch.