As we get older, things change in our lives

There are so many things we take for granted when we're young.

Things we lose when we're older. When I was 18 or 19, I was a pretty good basketball player. I was a streaky shooter, but when I was on, I could sink four or five 20-footers in a row. But when I took my basketball and went out onto the outdoor court here at Sun City last week, I couldn't make a shot from more than three feet.

That doesn't particularly bother me. Whether or not I can still play basketball at age 63 is real low on my list of concerns. I never had better than mediocre jumping ability, and now my vertical leap isn't more than an inch or two.

What I miss a lot more is not being able to eat some of the things I used to love, particularly late at night. In my early 20s, my friends and I used to close down the bars in Georgetown at 2 a.m. and then go out for pizza.

I remember 1970 in particular. It was the first time in my life that I had a real girlfriend, and there were plenty of times we found ourselves at Mario's Pizza in Arlington. The pizza came in squares, not slices, and I seem to remember they were 35 cents each that spring.

We would eat the pizza and then I'd drive her back to her dorm and head home myself.

I always slept great.

Now if I eat anything that isn't completely bland after about 8 p.m., I'm up half the night. Of course, I'm not going out to nightclubs, bars or even the movies late in the evening. Most nights, I find myself in bed by 10 p.m.

When I was home three years ago, I went by Mario's and had a couple of squares. I enjoyed them, but it wasn't the same as it was in 1970.

It reminds me of an old song.

I could get back to the place, but not the time.

Such is life.