You’re 37?

Last week at the annual Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Game we met up with some family friends at the Christmas Tree for halftime. When the tree is not up we still meet them there. My parents have had season tickets since 1993 and they have had them for at least eight years.

They have a couple of other friends they bring to the halftime meet and greet too. My parents friends are in their late forties or early fifties. Their friends are my age (late 30s). Well, their friends brought a younger cousin of his. I believe I remember him saying he was 25.

Him and I started talking and during the conversation he stopped me and asked how old I was. “37”, I says. I think I gave him an answer to a question that made him think that only an old person would say that (Two kids, 401k, The “Barry Years”, Minivan, Mortgage, Softball, etc.).

“You don’t look that old” , says him. “37 isn’t old” , says me.

This is the second time this year where this has happened to me.

I have been in a fantasy football league with some of my fraternity brothers for nine years. Thing about these guys is half of them were freshman or sophomores when I was graduating. Me being 23 and them being 18 or 19.

Fast forward nine years and I’m 37 and most of them are 32. And as you can guess, they made friends with the younger guys when they were graduating. Traditionally we meet up at my house or another guys house in Royal Oak to draft and then go out to Royal Oak.

This year, we had to draft online due to scheduling conflicts but half of us met up in Royal Oak. Its becoming the only time every year we see each other. Well, they brought some guys from the fraternity whom I’ve never met.

While at the bar I started talking to one and during the conversation I say something like “Two Kids, 401k, “The Barry Years”, Minivan, Mortgage, Softball,” and he stops the conversation.

“Wait, how old are you?”, says him. “37” , says me.

“You don’t look that old” , says him. “37 isn’t old” , says me.

“How old are you? , says me. “23” , says him.

“Well, you definitely made me feel old.” , says me.

Turns out he was still in college and in my old fraternity. He was a freshman when one of the guys was graduating and they kept in touch. The cycle continues.

How often do 23 and 25 year olds hang out with a 37 year old? I never did when I was those ages. When you are in your twenties everybody you know is the same age. Thirty year olds do not exist to you. And anybody in their 40s, 50s, or older is a boss, a professor, your parents, an aunt or uncle, or your grand parents.

All of the softball teams I played on in my twenties had guys the same age albeit one guy who was definitely in his forties who pitched for us.

And even the people I worked with when I was in my twenties. I cannot remember anyone who was in their thirties. The only people I remember were in their forties or fifties. Their lives were so much different than mine so you knew.

What is 37 supposed to look like to somebody who is 25 when thirty year olds do not exist to you? Fat? Bald? Grey hair? Glasses? Really fat?

37 year olds don’t hang out where 25 year olds do. And most don’t hang out anywhere. From what I know as being a 37 year old my age group is either working or raising kids. Since we have little to nothing in common with younger twenty somethings we don’t have a reason to talk.

I know what those two guys were thinking though. You have a full head of hair. You’re not (that) fat. You were talking about still playing sports before I asked you how old you were. He would have thought I was at most 32 since the guys I was hanging out with were the same age. And for the younger cousin. His older cousin was bald and a bit out of shape. That’s what he knows.

When I think about my friends who are my age. Almost all of them still have their hair with touches of gray. Those that don’t have hair started losing it when they were 23. Those that have gone grey have done so because of stress. The only real difference is if we are in shape or not as we all have grown into our “Man Bodies”.

When I think about the best shape I have ever been in it was when I was 31 and just completed Insanity Asylum Vol 1. I was as cut as I’ve ever been. At 37 I feel I am as strong as I’ve ever been.

I’m hitting the golf ball as far as I’ve ever hit it. My last couple weeks of softball I hit a few over the left fielders head (which I never do).The strength is there. I can’t run for shit but never really could. And I seem to recover from workouts just the same as I continue to workout four times a week.

What has changed the last couple of years is I have been paying more attention to what I put into my body. I cannot say for sure but I feel that taking Shakeology every morning for the last seven years has at least positively affected my long term health.

And how I switched to a mostly Paleo way of eating 16 months ago in an effort to address inflammation. So far it feels like its making a big difference.

Do these things make me look younger than 37? Maybe. Could it be genes? Possibly. What about playing sports and doing things younger people do? Doesn’t hurt. How about trying to live a low stress lifestyle? Less wear and tear for sure.

I am not sure about any of this but what I do know is 37 is not old. There are still dudes playing professional sports at 40 and doing well. If I gave some optimism to those two guys that they can still be doing things they like to do now at 37 than good.

Hopefully both of them said “You’re 37?” and not “You are 37”. Because “You are 37” would make me sad.