Growing Older

Good morning, ya'll or rather good evening. It is after 12:00 and this reminds me of a visit to a senior citizen home a couple of years ago. We were going to visit my mother-in-love (Roy's mom), and as we walked into the lobby there were several of the ladies sitting there. Now since I am a friendly soul, I said, "Good morning, ya'll. How are ya'll doing?" One of the ladies very pointedly looked at her watch and said in a stern voice, "It is 12:05 and is now afternoon." Without blinking, I said "Thank you for telling me for since I retired I don't wear a watch and really don't care what time it is, bless your heart." She looked a little confused and then gave a look that would kill. I just smiled sweetly and told her to have a good day and left.

Sometimes I find older people can be a tad peculiar, don't you know? I guess she didn't have anything to do but keep up with the time, how sad. My friend, "Miss Sally" Bennett, would just have a hissy fit when her friends would talk about how bored they were and had nothing to do. As we discussed this one Sunday after she had heard her Sunday School complain, we both agreed that we didn't have time to do all we wanted to and there were just not enough hours in the day.

Now you need to know that "Miss Sally" was about 90 when we had this discussion and lived to 94 and never stopped being busy. She never missed a service at the church, she ran our history room, was active in the Adel Arts Council, which she helped begin, wrote poetry, and made sure our church was run properly. She also played bridge, read a lot and made sure all the "old folks" in town were taken care of.

I remember one year when she was getting our church ready for our homecoming she called us one afternoon. She wanted us to sit at the registration table in the front of the church to register all the people who had come "home." I told her I would be glad to but would have to ask Roy. When I asked him he said of course he would for who would dare say "No" to "Miss Sally." Now my husband is a large man but this little lady could rule him in a heart-beat.

In the last year of her life, she came to the pastor with a letter of invitation to the guest preacher for homecoming. Now mind you this was here choice, she had written the letter and she placed it in front of Ben and told him to sign it. Did he? You bet, for you just didn't say no to "Miss Sally."

She was my hero and my role model. Being a retired teacher gave us a special bond and we both loved the Lord and our church and we both didn't especially like old people who complain. We would just shake our heads and say bless their hearts and smile at each other. She was a lovely lady and I miss her.

Getting older is not always fun but it is interesting. Because I have a head of snow-white hair and have had for a number of years, I have been treated like an old person for a long time. Used to bother me but now I just enjoy the doors being opened, having the youngsters say "Yes ma'am" and "No ma'am"and letting them think I am full of wisdom. If they only knew!

Old age is certainly not for sissies, as a book I read explains. You have several visitors who begin to hang around a lot like Arthur Itis, Bur Sitis, Aching Hip, Joint Pain and other unwelcome friends. They are not only unpleasant but are also painful. Thank goodness for Mr. Tylenol, Mr. Ben Gay, Ms. Sports Cream and Mr. and Mrs. Pain Pills. Without their help in handling these friends, we would be in a bad way.

There are couple of other downers such as thinning hair, reduced energy and slowing gait but there are some pluses. The hair may be thinning on top but is is growing in the nose, on the chin, upper lip and in the ears. Your energy may be waning a bit but your production goes up as you slow down you get a lot more done. As far as the slowing gait, you get to smell the roses and appreciate what you see.

What really gets my goat are those who take old age as an excuse to be unpleasant. They drive too slowly, expect to be served first, talk loudly because they won't wear their hearing aids, forget to brush their teeth and take a bath. You know who they are. These are the ones we run the other way from and just say, "Bless their hearts" a lot. I know some can't help it but claiming old age as a reason to be ornery is not fair. The rest of us are pretty nice people.

Well, I have rambled on and on today - maybe I am getting old. If you get bored just jump off the "Net Porch and come back to see me sometimes. I am about to bake a batch of oatmeal cookies and I'll save some for you.

Nuff said,

The Georgia Peach
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