My sister in law is celebrating a birthday today. Celebrating is not the correct term however, more like observing or commemorating. She is a bit older than I. I will not tell her age for fear of my life ! Let us just say it got me to thinking. Tomorrow is my Grandsons birthday, he'll be twelve and I'm staring at sixty in July.
I was remembering what my mom used to tell us kids. I was twenty five when you were born. That means I was twenty five times older than you. Now you are ten and I'm just 35. That means you are almost one third my age now. Stay around long enough and you will catch up. Made me think about that when I was young. And the funny thing is, she wasn't too far of the mark on that. Now we are both getting old !
I'm not sure I'm going to like being sixty. That's old enough where people think you are old, but don't treat you that way. What I mean to say is, you don't get the respect that comes with old age, just the snide remarks and comments. That is especially true at work. I realize that would also be dependent upon where you work. I work at the grocery store with mostly younger people. I'm the old guy. Except when something needs to be done that they don't want to do, then I'm the old guy that does that task. It is my lot in life at this moment. This too will pass.
Age is a funny thing. When you are young, you want to be older. Not real old, just old enough. Old enough to get into things that you really shouldn't be getting into too. Old enough to make your own choices. Strange thing is, for most of us, we are not old enough to listen. We outgrow that capacity for a period of time. Later in life, the lucky ones regain that ability. But by then, we are too old to do much more than give advice. And advice is one thing that is free and most don't want ! Another of those irony's in life.
In the last twenty years or so the general term used is, Senior. We become seniors. When do we graduate ? I'm a Junior, was born that way and will die that way thank you very much. Senior does seem to be an arbitrary age though. At some places 50 is senior. I have had a cashier apply the Senior discount without even asking me if I qualify. Just what is that all about ? Was a bit of a shock the first time that happened , now I just take it in stride. I can still stride ! The shuffle comes much later.
I have heard it said that with age comes wisdom. I'm still waiting on that. Picking up all those heavy boxes and packages at the grocery store isn't the wisest of moves. Guess I haven't learned to listen just yet. My mind says, no problem, but my body just laughs ! Sure, go right ahead you're not that old. And then there is always your choice of words or phrases. I listen, I hear what the kids say. I try to stay current. The problem is at a certain age you just can't pull it off anymore. When I say," that's how I roll," it is met with laughter. The language of the hip is indeed reserved for the young. Unless you belong to a certain ethnic group, then it doesn't seem to apply. I won't go there, however. That I leave for you to draw an inference of your own.
Well, tomorrow my Grandson will be twelve. Doesn't seem possible. Now he is one fifth my age. Twelve years ago I was 48 years his senior. He's catching up or is it that I'm slowing down ? I'm certainly in no hurry to graduate.
I was remembering what my mom used to tell us kids. I was twenty five when you were born. That means I was twenty five times older than you. Now you are ten and I'm just 35. That means you are almost one third my age now. Stay around long enough and you will catch up. Made me think about that when I was young. And the funny thing is, she wasn't too far of the mark on that. Now we are both getting old !
I'm not sure I'm going to like being sixty. That's old enough where people think you are old, but don't treat you that way. What I mean to say is, you don't get the respect that comes with old age, just the snide remarks and comments. That is especially true at work. I realize that would also be dependent upon where you work. I work at the grocery store with mostly younger people. I'm the old guy. Except when something needs to be done that they don't want to do, then I'm the old guy that does that task. It is my lot in life at this moment. This too will pass.
Age is a funny thing. When you are young, you want to be older. Not real old, just old enough. Old enough to get into things that you really shouldn't be getting into too. Old enough to make your own choices. Strange thing is, for most of us, we are not old enough to listen. We outgrow that capacity for a period of time. Later in life, the lucky ones regain that ability. But by then, we are too old to do much more than give advice. And advice is one thing that is free and most don't want ! Another of those irony's in life.
In the last twenty years or so the general term used is, Senior. We become seniors. When do we graduate ? I'm a Junior, was born that way and will die that way thank you very much. Senior does seem to be an arbitrary age though. At some places 50 is senior. I have had a cashier apply the Senior discount without even asking me if I qualify. Just what is that all about ? Was a bit of a shock the first time that happened , now I just take it in stride. I can still stride ! The shuffle comes much later.
I have heard it said that with age comes wisdom. I'm still waiting on that. Picking up all those heavy boxes and packages at the grocery store isn't the wisest of moves. Guess I haven't learned to listen just yet. My mind says, no problem, but my body just laughs ! Sure, go right ahead you're not that old. And then there is always your choice of words or phrases. I listen, I hear what the kids say. I try to stay current. The problem is at a certain age you just can't pull it off anymore. When I say," that's how I roll," it is met with laughter. The language of the hip is indeed reserved for the young. Unless you belong to a certain ethnic group, then it doesn't seem to apply. I won't go there, however. That I leave for you to draw an inference of your own.
Well, tomorrow my Grandson will be twelve. Doesn't seem possible. Now he is one fifth my age. Twelve years ago I was 48 years his senior. He's catching up or is it that I'm slowing down ? I'm certainly in no hurry to graduate.
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