A little off the top

As I was getting my hair cut, I looked down at the hair that had fallen from my head and onto the plastic apron. I could see an occasional grey hair mixed in with the dark brown hair and found myself feeling depressed. Things like that have a way of triggering emotions in me. I guess it was just a reminder.

Soon, I found myself tumbling down that slippery slope of depression, thinking about lost opportunities, failed relationships and friendships, and people I have known who are dead. How often I conveniently forget how many years have gone by in life. I find aging to be quite scary. At times, I can shrug it off with a little humor. On my birthday, I may tell someone that my hand is blinking red, an alluding to the old sci-fi story, “Logan’s Run” where people are not allowed to live past their late 20s. Other times, no matter how hard I try, the subject of aging depresses me.

I recall, while studying psychology, that Jung described various stages of life. I remember that one of the later stages was defined as this period when a person accepts they will not be able to accomplish all of their goals and dreams and learn to accept this, enjoying what they have accomplished. It made me feel kind of sad hearing this when I was in my late 20s but now it seems even more depressing.

I suppose I should be glad that I still have hair.