Men turning 50
It has been my experience that men go through a reality check around age 50. I saw it with my father, have witnessed it again and again over the years in others. It doesn’t seem generational, restricted neither to the boomers, genX-ers and probably won’t limit itself to the millennials.
Some may refer to it as male menopause or (gasp!) getting older. It starts I think when they see their relatives and peers of the same age start to fall…I mean fail! A heart attack or worse, a death. There is nothing like a near miss to get the attention of those life loving individuals and give them that reality check, MORTALITY.
who could blame them?
There are quite a few shocks that come about as we get older. For women, there are numerous jokes, cartoons and comedic series developed all around a biologic change that can wreck havoc both physically and emotionally. It’s been made into one big laughing matter that we are made aware of not too long after reaching puberty.
Ah-h but men. What happens when they turn 50? Or thereabouts. They discover a prostate. One that joins them into the world of erratic pee-ing episodes. Frequency, nocturia. If they aren’t careful and diligent those massive cheeseburgers they consume so easily start to show up on that previously fat free belly. And then there are those oops moments that possibly start to occur. (But don’t worry, there’s a little blue pill for that).
the physical facts
Physical changes in men as they get older are much more controllable than in females. If they take care of their health with exercise and eating right then some may never experience the physical aspects of male menopause. The medical symptoms of clinical male menopause are usually brought about by lessening levels of testosterone. According to Mayo clinic this occurs approximately 1% per year after 40 rarely leaving the normal range unless there are other underlying disease processes. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/mens-health/in-depth/male-menopause/art-20048056
the emotional truth
No one likes that reality check that says slow down. Look around you aren’t doing everything you can to help yourself. Most live their lives in an immortal-like bubble that allows them to live hard and play harder. Some learn the hard way from personal experience or watching that friend. And depression can set in. Thus the male menopause.
Purchasing big boats, faster cars…finding younger women. This all on that elusive tract to stay young. There are those that never learn because they always figured they’d die young anyway. We had a friend like that. He spun out on a 4-wheeler in his driveway during an ice storm, just clowning around. He was 58.
the reality
In reality men are lucky. The aging process takes place much more slowly (and kindly) than it does in women. You control it! Yes, you! Take care of yourself now. Indulge a little less, play a little more slowly. You can make sure that it is all still here tomorrow.
Sassaleeyours…