"The older I get the better I used to be!"

As time goes on, memories of the past tend to become rosier, and accomplishments or abilities sometimes grow in our minds to legendary proportions. Lee Trevino’s playful observation captures how, for many people, the passage of years enhances their recollection of youth and performance, rather than diminishing it. When someone says, "the better I used to be", they're reflecting the human tendency to look back and see oneself as more successful, skillful, or impressive than perhaps the reality warranted.

This phenomenon speaks to the nature of nostalgia. The mind naturally filters out disappointments or minor failures, dwelling instead on highlights and achievements. Sports figures, like Trevino, often recount their careers with a touch of exaggeration, not necessarily through deliberate boasting, but because the passage of time softens memory’s edges. We seldom recall missed shots or bad games as vividly as the moments of glory. As one ages, stories of the past seem to grow in stature, and listeners (and the storyteller themselves) might come to believe that the golden years were even shinier than they actually were.

There's also an element of humor and humility in the phrase. Trevino isn’t claiming that he objectively improves with age, but rather poking fun at how people, especially athletes, can fall into the trap of wistful self-aggrandizement. It's a wink at the universal urge to look fondly upon one's heyday and perhaps, unconsciously, to embellish it. Beneath the humor lies a touch of melancholy, a reminder that aging brings inevitable decline in physical prowess, leading us to value and sometimes overstate our former glories. Trevino's words evoke empathy, laughter, and perhaps a bit of wistfulness, as we recognize ourselves in the gentle inflation of our own stories from the past.