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Getting Old by
Peary Perry | |
I
hate the word …old. As in …."You're getting OLD…"
I've never thought of
myself as ever being old. I just thought I was ….lived in. When I look in the
mirror, I see myself as I was years ago…..obviously I must be kidding myself,
since I notice a couple of subtle changes which have started happening.
Women
and young men hold the doors open for me as I go to the store. Secondly the sackers
at the grocery look at me like I've lost my mind when I refuse to accept their
help carrying my stuff out to my car. I'm getting a lot more…"Sir….are you sure?"
questions in the past few years.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not on
deaths doorstep….I still have my health and aside from needing to lose more weight
and exercise more…don't we all? I'm still hanging in here….The only time someone
has actually called me old was a few years ago in a bank parking lot when this
doofus walked behind my truck as I was backing up to leave. He yelled at me and
called me a blind old man. I might have punched his lights out, but he managed
to get in his car and drive away before I could get my seat belt unbuckled and
out of the truck to go after him. The fact that it took me several minutes to
get out of my vehicle to catch him may have had something to do with his escaping
my wrath. He should count himself lucky I wasn't able to catch him.
I've
found that I enjoy naps more during the week, not just on Sunday afternoon. I
read more and watch television less. I eat better foods and now I'm starting to
buy things on sale at the store. Something I never did when I was younger. Last
weekend I bought a pound of bacon and walked out with a loaf of bread, can of
hot sauce, package of flour tortillas, enchilada sauce, package of sausage and
some coffee creamer…all free just for buying the bacon. What a deal. I guess I
could have been doing this all along, but was so busy working; I never stopped
to sample the free stuff being given away when I went shopping. Now I can just
snack away to my hearts content while buying what I need.
Now my old friends
swap recipes and jokes with me everyday on the internet. We used to hang out in
bars and drink everyday and tell jokes, but our livers gave out and our wives
threatened to leave us so we changed our rowdy ways. I'd hate to think what my
life would be like if I was single again. Perish the thought. The last time I
was up past midnight is when some drunk dialed the wrong number to wish us a Happy
New Year. No one our age stays up late on New Years Eve…everyone we know celebrates
the change according to New York City time….I suppose we'll be looking at what
time it is in London in a few more years. I guess old folks in London use China
for their time to celebrate.
I also find that I don't dress up like I
used to do. The only time I wear a suit and tie is when someone dies or we go
to a wedding. I've noticed that we go to funerals more than weddings since most
of our friends kids have already gotten married once and they don't seem to make
a big deal out of it when they get married for the second time around. I read
the obituaries more than I used to do. I realize that's kind of morbid, but I
do it anyway. Every time I see a death notice on someone my age, I just say a
silent prayer that it wasn't me or someone I know.
I notice that I listen
more and talk less. This has become more noticeable to my family since they often
ask if there is something wrong or is I feel alright. I feel fine, I just like
to hear others talk and don't feel the need to dominate the conversations like
I know I used to do when I was younger.
I cherish my friends and family
more. It seems the older you get, the harder it is to make new friends. You have
to start all over telling your life history and all of your little quirks and
funny stories. Then you have to listen as someone else tells you about their lives.
I don't mind this, but sometimes I get bored just listening to me answering questions
about my life. After awhile you almost want to erase everything and start over……
But, I will say that all in all getting older isn't really all that bad….it beats
the alternative of not doing so. As someone once told me…birthdays are good things
to have.
I'll agree with that. |
©
Peary Perry
Letters
From North America
May 22, 2007 column
Syndicated weekly in 80 newspapers
Comments go to
www.pearyperry.com
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