Aye, ’tis true. Turned twenty-six today — I’m now playing with half a deck — and, in response to the age-old question of “do you feel any older?” I was, for the first time in all my years, able to answer in the affirmative. You see, I’ve been limping and hobbling about for the past thirty hours, finding myself in significant discomfort.
This discomfort, along with an accompanying sense of both deep satisfaction and pride, was gained through my adventures paintballing yesterday. Spent a handful of hours in the morning and afternoon in the company of friends and acquaintances, alternately shooting at them in smaller games, and with them in larger games when matched against another group on-site. A grand time was had by all (well, except maybe the poor suckers I snuck close enough to to touch and, subsequently, humiliated with point-blank mercy-kills), though my favourite moment of the day came on the way home from the field while driving.
Listening to m’love recount her tales and strategies, and reflecting with her on the day and understanding events from her perspective, was a phenomenal way to cap off an already wonderful day. Swapping “war stories” with the love of my life was a real treat and had me beaming with pride as, in her talking, I heard reflected my own ideas and coolheaded temperament and strategiesm, albeit from a different point of view and with an enthusiasm I’ve lost in games gone by. I can only hope that my actions on the field proved educational; I did my best to illustrate through action some of the strategies her and I discussed prior to the day beginning and between games. Fun, fun, fun…!
Alas, I just wish I had had the foresight to have stretched before I had commenced killing. Hobbling around, wincing, and saying “ouch” everytime I go up and down stairs will grow old very, very quickly… much as I seem to be. Ye gods, has it really been twenty-six years already?