It used to be many years ago that Saturday was a special day
a day off from work and all that went with making a living
and instead of jumping out of bed and fighting through the sleep
trying to be awake enough to be ready for the day
and then remember that I didn’t have to work
and would roll over and snooze for another couple of hours
until the dogs would fuss, reminding me that it was time for them to eat.

Maybe there were things to do that I had planned
things around the house or the yard
gardening and pulling weeds or maybe cleaning the filters on the ponds
or playing with the dogs in a game of tag
that they would always win as they were much faster than me
and in my much younger years, a game of football with my friends
to spend an afternoon just kicking a ball or kicking the other players
whichever got in the way.
and drinking beer and socializing and shouting insults to the men and women
all friends, in the games that followed ours.

In the evening, maybe a night out with my friends
or if I was very lucky, a hot date with a current lady friend
to take to dinner and wine and dine her
and pay her all of the attention that a man does
when he is besotted with her charms and good looks
in the hopes that the evening would end on a favorable note.

Maybe it was a quiet night, one spent in with the TV
watching the English Premier League soccer games
and marveling at the skills of the players
with the things they could do with a ball
thinking of my own skills
and feeling very inadequate.

Now, many years later, retired from work
no longer having to worry about the time
or even what day it is
when Saturday rolls around
unless something special is planned
it is just the same as the rest of the days of the week.

Too old to play football and no longer able to kick the ball or the other players
but still watching the  English Premier League
and now saying, “I used to be able to do that, way back when”.
I could run and jump and was as light as a feather on my feet
but now, every muscle aches if I try to extend my body
beyond anything out of the norm

So I am reduced to a work out in the gym every couple of days
lifting weights that are half what I used to be able to lift
looking at all of the beautiful women and the muscular young men
and then coming back to reality when the ones who really need the work
those that are very overweight and way too heavy
come into view.

There are many old people both men and women, like me
who exercise for a different reason, in the hope that
by thinking young and rolling back the years
that big clock on the wall will slow down
and buy us a bit more time on this earth
time that we will spend, dreaming of the past
and things that were and life as it used to be.

But, it is still Saturday
not like the days of old it is true
but any day alive on this earth is a good day
to breathe the air and feel the sun warm on my body
and know that I have been blessed
with one more day…
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