You may have heard me say it before: I wouldn't go back to being seventeen if I could

One thing I believe. Being seventeen kinda sucked. Not my life in general -- looking back on it, I had some pretty decent friends, and, while SOME things sucked, all things considered, my life was pretty good. But I was arrogant, foolish, and short-sighted. Within normal teenager parameters, to be sure. But I could be a bit of a jerk, and I can think of a number of things I did which embarrass me. I made lots of stupid mistakes.

And they were, basically, natural consequences of being seventeen. So I definitely wouldn't go back to the emotions or mind that I had then. I much prefer having already gone through those lessons, plus having the extra brain development that continues to happen after that age. Since that time, I've gained some perspective, a lot of skill and patience, and even a little wisdom.

But, I've often said, I wouldn't mind having the BODY I had at seventeen.

Well. I realized something.

I've reached the same weight I was at seventeen. My resting heart rate is the same as it was then, or a little better. So's my blood pressure, my endurance, my flexibility, and my strength.

Sure, I'm now bald, and my beard is white. My facial bone structure has gotten slightly more angular in the way that human male facial bone structure tends to. My skin tends to be just a tiny bit dryer, and I'm just starting to develop those creases that go from beside my nose to the corners of my mouth. But other than that? I DO have the body I had at seventeen.

It's kind of scary. Baruch Hashem, I appear to be the healthiest I have ever been in my life.