Some moments are humbling. Today, my wife and I walked across the Spruce Street Suspension Bridge—and not since Spring 2021. I have always been sure-footed, even as the thing wildly swayed. But not today. I was clumsy, dizzy, off-balance, uncertain. I wasn’t prepared for the dramatic, and wildly changed, reaction.
Gasp. We don’t necessarily see the effects of aging, because the diminishing capacity isn’t sudden but result of a long process. I joked with Annie about a what-if: joining a volleyball game and waking in the hospital, following a dig to save the ball. Muscle memory may be there, but not the physical agility or stamina. “Well, Mr. Wilcox, you have a broken arm, three cracked ribs, and a fractured collar bone”.
I never imagined feeling wobbly crossing that bridge. Why would anyone?
I don’t feel old, and that presents another kind of problem. My mental sense of self is decades younger, which is how I interact with some of my Millennial and Gen X neighbors. But they see an old man, someone who could be the age of father or grandparent. Their experience of the interaction starkly differs from mine. We aren’t peers, even if my feelings suggest otherwise.
Let’s talk Featured Image and companion, both captured using Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. We came upon the pumpkin skeleton decoration on the other side of the bridge, where wealth is grandiosely displayed. The homes are mansion-like fortresses, with high stone walls and painted steel garage doors that open outward from the center. Quick search tonight reveals selling prices in the $2.5 million to $5 million and more range.
For both shots, I applied the Burn filter in Microsoft Photos. Vitals for the Pumpkin skeleton: f/1.7, ISO 12, 1/400 sec, 23mm (film equivalent); 11:36 a.m. The bridge is the same but 11:42 a.m.