I’ve been sick as a dog for several weeks – I suspect that a cold has somehow turned into a sinus infection. As I’m sitting here I can’t hear much and my teeth hurt. No fun.

Why does this matter?  It doesn’t. I don’t get sick very often, but when I do it’s not simple or quick. But it makes me think about my health in general and the impact that it has on  my life.

I will turn 40 soon and I am in great shape physically and I am eating better than ever. Hopefully this trend will continue throughout my life and hopefully I will be able to live a fairly long time in a healthy fashion.  I don’t know who said it, but I once read a quote saying something to the effect that without your health, you have nothing.

In general it seems like too many people ignore their health and end up popping pills and spending lots of time visiting doctors and being generally miserable.  I know exercise and eating right is a mystery to many folks, but I feel bad for those who suffer a lower quality of life due to their health. 

Of course I realize many people have genetic issues or other health problems that are unavoidable, but I’m talking about people who could be fairly healthy with a little effort.  

As I cross the barrier to 40 and beyond I look forward to playing with my kids, hikes, bike rides, vacations, etc. I believe the being fairly healthy will be a necessary part of being able to enjoy my future plans. Of course I’m aware that things can happen no matter how hard I try to avoid them, but hopefully putting in a little effort will tip the odds in my favor.

Turning 40 doesn’t really matter much to me – to be honest I celebrate every birthday the same as I am happy to keep having them – the alternative wouldn’t be very pleasant.