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Blue Shoe, Black Shoe, How Old Are You? - July 19, 2006
An office mate passed a cartoon to me featuring two obviously elder senior citizens rocking on a porch. One said to the other, "I'm getting so old that all my friends in heaven will think I didn't make it."
I must have been having a senior moment the other day when my husband discovered, after I had been at the office all day, that I was wearing one blue shoe and one black shoe.
Luckily, no one else had noticed, or at least they were kind enough not to point it out to me. I was shocked that my husband noticed. He's the type that I have to lay out matching color combos for in order for him to go out looking decent.
In defense of myself wearing the wrong color of shoes, that particular week, I was so busy and stressed at work that it was lucky I got there wearing shoes at all.
Actually, every time I use that now well-worn phrase "senior moment," I remember a reader, Rhoda Cressman, who challenged me about that expression. She felt it was condescending and instead of using it to explain away an older person who makes a mistake or forgets something, she uses it to describe a time when she or someone else does or says something particularly wise or true. Seniors often exhibit signs of the accrued wisdom of a lifetime.
While some might say aging is no laughing matter, I think that those who are able to laugh at themselves age best. But as Mrs. Cressman pointed out, we're wise to remember that aging is not synonymous with senility. In the example above, my wearing the wrong shoe was symptomatic of my busyness and inattentiveness to detail that particular morning, not my age. However, we all know that over a longer period of time, signs of serious forgetfulness (not knowing where you are, for instance) are frequently signs of Alzheimers or other dementia and should be treated.)
But aging is also not synonymous with illness. While illness is no laughing matter, being able to laugh about the funny things that happen in the process of aging can help one maintain a healthy sense of humor. Online I found this story about aging that made me laugh: Two elderly people were living in a mobile home park in Florida. He was a widower and she was a widow. They had known one another for a number of years. One evening there was a community supper in the Club House, and the widower and widow made a foursome with two other singles. They had a wonderful evening and the widower sent a few admiring glances across the table, and the widow smiled coyly back at him. Finally, he plucked up his courage to ask her, "Will you marry me?"
After about six seconds of careful consideration, she answered, "Yes. Yes, I will. "
The meal ended with a few more pleasant exchanges and they went to their respective homes. The next morning, the widower was troubled. Did she say 'Yes' or did she say 'No'? He couldn't remember. Try as he would, he just could not recall. He went over the conversation of the previous evening, but his mind was blank. He remembered asking the question, but for the life of him he could not recall her response.
With fear and trepidation, he picked up the phone and called her. First, he explained that he didn't remember as well as he used to. Then he reviewed the lovely evening past. As he gained a little more courage, he then inquired of her, "When I asked if you would marry me, did you say 'Yes' or did you say 'No'?
"Why, you silly man, I said 'Yes. Yes I will.' And I meant it with all my heart. "
The widower was delighted. He felt his heart skip a beat. Then she continued, "And I am so glad you called because I couldn't remember who asked me." (Emmisburg.net "Jokes about aging.")
Don't miss out on the fun of what many call the best years of life by worrying excessively about mismatched shoes, forgotten details, or what you can't do. Instead, focus on and thank God for the gifts, wisdom and skills you do bring to the table.
Contributed by Melodie Davis: MelodieD@MennoMedia.org Melodie is the author of eight books and writes a syndicated newspaper column, Another Way
An office mate passed a cartoon to me featuring two obviously elder senior citizens rocking on a porch. One said to the other, "I'm getting so old that all my friends in heaven will think I didn't make it."
I must have been having a senior moment the other day when my husband discovered, after I had been at the office all day, that I was wearing one blue shoe and one black shoe.
Luckily, no one else had noticed, or at least they were kind enough not to point it out to me. I was shocked that my husband noticed. He's the type that I have to lay out matching color combos for in order for him to go out looking decent.
In defense of myself wearing the wrong color of shoes, that particular week, I was so busy and stressed at work that it was lucky I got there wearing shoes at all.
Actually, every time I use that now well-worn phrase "senior moment," I remember a reader, Rhoda Cressman, who challenged me about that expression. She felt it was condescending and instead of using it to explain away an older person who makes a mistake or forgets something, she uses it to describe a time when she or someone else does or says something particularly wise or true. Seniors often exhibit signs of the accrued wisdom of a lifetime.
While some might say aging is no laughing matter, I think that those who are able to laugh at themselves age best. But as Mrs. Cressman pointed out, we're wise to remember that aging is not synonymous with senility. In the example above, my wearing the wrong shoe was symptomatic of my busyness and inattentiveness to detail that particular morning, not my age. However, we all know that over a longer period of time, signs of serious forgetfulness (not knowing where you are, for instance) are frequently signs of Alzheimers or other dementia and should be treated.)
But aging is also not synonymous with illness. While illness is no laughing matter, being able to laugh about the funny things that happen in the process of aging can help one maintain a healthy sense of humor. Online I found this story about aging that made me laugh: Two elderly people were living in a mobile home park in Florida. He was a widower and she was a widow. They had known one another for a number of years. One evening there was a community supper in the Club House, and the widower and widow made a foursome with two other singles. They had a wonderful evening and the widower sent a few admiring glances across the table, and the widow smiled coyly back at him. Finally, he plucked up his courage to ask her, "Will you marry me?"
After about six seconds of careful consideration, she answered, "Yes. Yes, I will. "
The meal ended with a few more pleasant exchanges and they went to their respective homes. The next morning, the widower was troubled. Did she say 'Yes' or did she say 'No'? He couldn't remember. Try as he would, he just could not recall. He went over the conversation of the previous evening, but his mind was blank. He remembered asking the question, but for the life of him he could not recall her response.
With fear and trepidation, he picked up the phone and called her. First, he explained that he didn't remember as well as he used to. Then he reviewed the lovely evening past. As he gained a little more courage, he then inquired of her, "When I asked if you would marry me, did you say 'Yes' or did you say 'No'?
"Why, you silly man, I said 'Yes. Yes I will.' And I meant it with all my heart. "
The widower was delighted. He felt his heart skip a beat. Then she continued, "And I am so glad you called because I couldn't remember who asked me." (Emmisburg.net "Jokes about aging.")
Don't miss out on the fun of what many call the best years of life by worrying excessively about mismatched shoes, forgotten details, or what you can't do. Instead, focus on and thank God for the gifts, wisdom and skills you do bring to the table.
Contributed by Melodie Davis: MelodieD@MennoMedia.org Melodie is the author of eight books and writes a syndicated newspaper column, Another Way
