When one lives in Sydney, one lives in the shadow of the Harbour Bridge and all of its lore.
And much of the lore of the Sydney Harbour Bridge or the coat hanger as it is also fondly known surrounds its maintenance. Spanning Sydney Harbour apparently requires lots of up keep, so much so that it’s painters are permanently occupied… with painting. To ensure that the Bridge is kept rust free, it is painted from pylon to pylon in Sydney Harbour Bridge grey. As the story goes, no sooner do the painters reach one end, they then have to immediately start painting again at the other.
Middle age has me feeling like the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Now, I don’t mean I’m feeling grey or rusted. Rather my body maintenance has increased to the point where as soon as I have finished maintaining one end, I then have to begin the whole process again at the other.
No sooner have I just had a pedi, then I have to start tending to the tips of my roots and all of that regrowth. And the issue is not just cosmetic. On the way down from the top of my head to the tips of my feet are visits to the optometrist, dentist, skin specialist, mamographer, the doctor to check under the hood and the podiatrist. It’s getting to the point where I almost need a maintenance planner to make sure that nothing falls through the cracks so to speak or that a rivet comes loose.
So I’m dreaming of those days gone past when maintenance was a biannual affair. When hair cuts were seldom and ammonia free 
affairs. When I only needed one pair of glasses and not two – I absolutely refuse to surrender to bifocals – and leg hair grew at a slower pace.
Next year, I am really hoping for a couple of days when I don’t need to be closed for maintenance. Just a few days when no entry is made into my body log book.
Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for how my body is holding up. It just seems I have to be a lot more mindful of it now than I have in the past. That’s probably poetic justice, given middle age is that time of life that gives you a window both to the past and to the future.
However, better preventative maintenance now than being closed for repair later on.
Do you ever feel like this?
Raising the Curtain 
The Verrazano Narrows bridge in NYC (and possibly the George Washington bridge) also have that same ongoing maintenance.
And here I thought we were unique. I walked across the George Washington Bridge last time I was in NY two years ago. Awesome view 😉
I couldn’t function without my progressive lenses–my vision is horrible. Went downhill in med school years ago and continued to deteriorate at a steady rate. But progressive lenses sound so much more hip than trifocals, don’t they?… 🙂
Very hip and probably more convenient. I’m forever flicking between three pairs actually, let’s not forget the prescription sunnies. My eyesight went down hill at uni too, too much sitting up the back of the lecture theatre with the mining engineer, squinting, Maybe that’s a whole blog post all its own 🙂
The days that bother me are when I wake up and something hurts and I cannot remember why it should. I need to get my transmission filter changed, I think.
That would surely get your pistons humming 🙂
I howled–sorry–couldn’t help it when I read, “…falls through the cracks so to speak or that a rivet comes loose.”
Splendid analogy with the bridge repairs. 😀
Thanks, one has to be careful to present all the nuts and bolts in every blog post 😉
Ha ha ha. 😀
Oh I can so relate to this, Judy!
How are the knees holding up?
My mother used to get up and read the obituaries, and if she wasn’t in them she’d go back to bed.
A friend of mine took me on a walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge when I was there 25 years and about 100 pounds ago….
Do you remember much of the walk? I suspect you would see a very different skyline now, although you would also have the chance to climb the arch.
Your mother had it right, always important to verify the news 😉
I am totally skeptical about officially recommended maintenance intervals for people “over 40” etc. – I admit I am a bit of a denier, and I am that pesky patient bothering medical doctors with questions about science and statistical evidence and doing my own research diligently.
If I am not 100% convinced of some treatment or frequency thereof I rather skip it. Usually, when I lie later (e.g. after switching doctors) it goes unnoticed, so I think these numbers (“every year, every two years…”) are rather arbitrary. I attribute those recommendations partly to so-called risk management and over-compliance dreamed up by some bureaucrats in governmental agencies.
There is also a conflict of interest for medical doctors: From an entrepreneurial perspective I can totally relate that they want me to see them often and regularly – but I am not convinced this is really necessary.
I think that it is healthy (irony) to be sceptical and I also think that medical negligence litigation is partly to blame. There are some things that I just won’t take any chances on, a pap smear being one of them, despite the unpleasantness of it all. I think doctors tread a tough line between over servicing and under servicing so it also pays to listen to your own body.
I will trot to the doctors if I have pain that doesn’t go away after a week. I hardly take any panadaol etc even on the odd occasion that I have pain. Thankfully I was born with good genes – though mum and Pop have their issues now, they have been healthy as bulls all their lives. I have glasses for TV and driving – and glasses for reading (which I should but forget to put on). Some days especially after hibernation – how nice would it be to say to hell with the leg hair I’ll just plait it for a while. Or who cares if my roots need doing…but I can’t maintenance especially when you hit my age seems to be a weekly thing if not every couple of days. Something horrid will rear it’s ugly head and make us perform yet another body ritual. To answer your question lovely – yes I feel like this allot! 🙂 xx
The only good thing about winter is letting one’s leg hair grow. Maybe next year I’ll even get to plait them. I’m far more body conscious now then I ever was younger, going without makeup etc most of the time. Now, AAAARGGGH! As for panadol, I will pop one when I need to as I do have a slight issue with migraines. At least I don’t have to take anything stronger than a panadol.
I think we could start a trend with the plaiting 🙂 Yes I’m more body conscious, but strangely I was always one for makeup – only when I go out now- otherwise don’t bother that much…a relief really. 😦 with migraines x
😉 great post