Gay Of A Certain Age - Sucking In Sucks!

It's mid-July and I've only yesterday had my first pool party experience this year.
Yes, if I'm too busy for love, I'm certainly too busy for swimming!
I'm glad I found a time to be with my friends and new people,
but to be honest, I was none-too-glad to be in a swim suit.
You know if it's a gay pool party there's gonna be some hot rockin' sex God bods,
and this party was no different.  It's intimidating.  Then I looked around.
As a Gay Of A Certain Age, it's important to note that your contemporaries are probably more
like you than not.  I was not the only not-fit body there.  Don't get me wrong, there were plenty of
the close to 50's whose bodies looked like they had just stepped off the set of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS,

but I was comforted seeing a few who weren't concerned with model like attributes and sucking in their tummies.  I didn't feel as out of place as I worried I would.
How many gatherings had I talked myself out of attending, because I was worried about how I looked or how much I weigh?  Is that why I find myself alone?
Again, I'm not having a pity party for myself, because while I could stand to hit the gym,
I'm not Gilbert Grape's mom and I'm not that guy who fed his face to the dogs on HANNIBAL.
I think sometimes I just let myself fall into the gay trap of putting myself up against the images in gay mags & porn and feel like I have nothing to offer.  I know it's not true.  I think I've learned that, exactly like the gym, getting myself there is most of the battle and I usually enjoy my time there.

So, thank you, Avery, for the invite and I'm very glad I came!