TIME

The funny thing about aging

Years ago, I was in Amsterdam with one of my friends, Jen, when I tripped and fell for absolutely no reason. I lay on the ground for a moment in shock. I wasn’t hurt or anything, I was just surprised. My shoes were tied, the pavement was smooth, and I hadn’t been wildly weaving or jumping around. And yes, I was a little high (Amsterdam), but not in a way that would have led to forgetting how to walk. I looked up from the ground and said, “Jen! Gah! What if, someday, I become one of those people who just falls for no reason?” We found this idea so outrageous that we laughed and laughed. Because to me, lying there, barely into my early 30s, falling for no reason was something that happened only to old people.

Fast-forward to one day soon after I turned

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