the thing is...

I'm old.
Yes, I am.

Not in mind or spirit, and not relatively speaking.

I'm old in the sense that I am banged up, bruised, wounded, scarred and broken. You see, Im a 39 year old chef, that's old in restaurant years. Ive been working in restaurants since I was 16, and I've never held any other job. I've been pounding the quarry tile and have slaved amongst raging fires and sharp blades for a long time; that's what makes me old. Because of this business, I have aged faster than you. I have more grey hair than most 39 year olds, especially in my beard. I have bad knees. When I squat, I have to pull myself back up and every time. It feels like this could be the time my knee finally blows out. I have a bad back. It's always sore and needing of a massage. It takes 20 minutes of stretching just to get out of bed. I get up way before the sun rises to go for a 2.5 mile walk, just like the old men I see on the way, to loosen up. I need to lie flat on the floor, at least once a day to relieve the pain , and usually it's in the banquet room at Esquire Grill. I have chronic pain and soreness in all my joints, just like you see in the commercials for old men. If I'm using my knife for an extended period of time, I have to stop and massage my hand and elbow joint. I cant grip with my hands. I need help opening jars, just like your grandmother does. The repetitive use of tongs all night turns my hands to unusable stumps by the end of service. My hearing has deteriorated over the years, probably due to the constant roar of the ventilation hoods I work under 11 hours a day. I have never in my life smoked a cigarette, never even held one in my hand, though I bet I inhale more toxic, carcinogenic carbon than your "pack-a-day" guy from the magma-hot mesquite I sweat over night after night. My feet? Always one step away from agonizing cramps, cramps that interrupt my REM sleep in the middle of the night while trying to squeeze in 5-6 hours before I return to work. My hands are worn with callouses, the hair is singed from open flame, skin is scarred from deep cuts requiring stitches and burns from hot splattering oil. My knuckles are arthritic and swollen, just like old man hands.

I'm old.
Told you so...