I’m a Degenerate!

And I’m using that as my excuse for the long gap between blog posts. Let me explain…

Back in January of this year, after a wedding shoot, I started noticing some lower back pain. Nothing severe—just an annoyance. I brushed it off as a pulled muscle from bending, twisting, and hustling around with heavy camera gear.

But the pain didn’t go away. It got worse.

By the end of February, I figured it was time to see my VA doctor. X-rays were scheduled, and about a week later I got the news: I’m a degenerate.

Well—not me exactly… but the discs in my back.

Degenerative disc disease.

Once it was explained to me, it all started to make sense. The worsening pain, the discomfort that wouldn’t quit—it’s those worn-down discs putting pressure where they shouldn’t be, triggering sciatic nerve pain.

So now, I’m learning.

Learning to move differently.

Learning to slow down.

Learning to be intentional.

Things I love—gardening, playing guitar, tapping out rhythms on my slap-top cajon, mowing three acres of lawn, even getting down low for macro shots of bugs—all of it now requires a bit more thought, a bit more strategy. The goal is simple: don’t make things worse.

It’s an adjustment, no doubt about it.

But if there’s one thing I’m realizing, it’s this: adapting isn’t quitting—it’s continuing, just a little wiser than before.

Still… I stand by this truth:

Aging is not for the young at heart!