One of the questions I get almost every place I go is a request to describe my work day. When I was young, it was action packed. I wrote 4000 words a day, practiced my music, went to theater or movies with my husband, made family dinners with his three sons. I even tutored in an after-school program.
That was then, this is now. Over the years, various parts of my body have stopped functioning, some from age, some from a car wreck I was in 5 years ago. My day now starts with my exercise program, I have a routine for my neck, which means also strengthening the traps, the pecs and the abs. My antique knees have their own regimen. A general stretching to warm up the whole body.
Then it’s time for the first cappuccino of the day, made according to Intelligentsia’s rigorous prescription.
![012209_Public_training](https:///saraparetsky.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/012209_Public_training-300x128.jpg)
The dog must be walked, and then, of course, the aging body must have aerobic exercise to keep the aging brain functioning.
![pmschocolate](https:///saraparetsky.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/pmschocolate-300x189.jpg)
By now, it’s 11 a.m and I haven’t even had breakfast yet.
Today, I learned that yet another failing body part will take hours of attention each day. I have rotten teeth–I’ve had 17 root canals. And despite obsessive-compulsive flossing and brushing, one tooth rotted so badly that my whole jaw began to disintegrate. Bone grafts followed, and a titanium implant. Today I learned that the implant requires a special regimen all its own. I believe that regimen will take the time in the morning formerly alotted to writing. And by then, it will be lunch time, followed by the afternoon nap. A second cappuccino, a glance at the e-mails. By now, I have to knock off to make dinner. Eating means the implant must be watered and groomed once again. Forget music, tutoring, or writing–this gets me to bed time–once midnight or 1 a.m., now a decorous 10 or 10:30.
Believe me, I am working harder than any time in the past!