The older I get, which seems to be happening at the speed of light, the less I like most of what’s going on in the world. I remember seeing that quality in my parents as they aged.
As they didn’t like the changes they saw, I don’t like the crippling national debt or the fact that, like spoiled children, none of us seem willing to give up any of our “entitlements” from the government to help control spending.
I don’t like the nanny state we’ve developed that promises to relieve every last American — and many that aren’t Americans — of every last responsiblity for taking care of ourselves. And I don’t like them taking my tax money to pay for it.
I don’t like the threat of World War III that could come from all the hatred in the world right now.
I don’t like the aches and pains and I don’t like the indigestion of aging, and I don’t like being told to give up fried chicken for my health —“at my age.” What about my mental health that seems to depend on an occasional fried chicken leg to stay in balance?
But I don’t want to complain all the time and nobody wants to hear me do it, so lately I’ve been looking for the silver linings in my advancing age. Some aging issues are big problems and don’t have silver linings, but complaining won’t make those go away, and I want to stay as positive as possible for as long as possible.
Aging is one of life’s problems, but I’m finding that life on the downhill slide does offer some compensations.
As you age, your “stuff” hurts more. My hip, for instance, has been hurting lately. I want to think I’ve overdone my exercise, but it could be something more serious. My sister-in-law had a hip replacement a while back, though, and that possibility gave me my first silver lining.
If people can get their hips replaced, I’m going to get mine done. But I’ll ask for smaller ones this time— I mean, if you can get new ones, why get the same big ones you had? Smaller hips will make my pants fit better, and I won’t have to exercise as much.
So now I can think of a hip replacement, if I ever need one, as just a way to meet my fitness goals! While the rest of my aerobics class is doing 100 outer thigh raises, I’ll just march in place, looking sleek and showing off my skinny new hips!
As we age people notice us less. Rather than letting that hurt my feelings, I could see the silver lining and enjoy the perks of invisibility. I can be glad that going unnoticed allows me to wear a red top, a purple bottom and bright green shoes together or wear the same shirt for four days in a row, and nobody says a thing about it because they aren’t looking at me anyway!
When I forget a name or a chore I had planned to do or a dish for the potluck supper, I can just say, “Sorry. I seem to be having a senior moment.” My forgetfulness can’t offend anyone. What else would you expect from a dame my age? Just say, “Bless her ole heart,” and go on about your business.
Another little issue with aging is that you don’t hear as well as you did at age 25.
I participated in a whole conversation the other day with a friend. She was keeping her voice down for privacy so I could barely hear what she said, but I wanted to appear interested so I kept my head turned in her direction. Her lips would move, and I heard “Mon hub mum mum boo-e.” When her lips stopped moving, I would nod my head and reply, “Um hmm” or “Um hmmm!!” when it seemed appropriate.
When she stopped talking, I congratulated myself on staying engaged, being concerned and not saying anything offensive. The silver lining to not being able to hear much of the conversation? I couldn’t pass on any gossip, and I was able to plan my schedule for the next day while my friends’ lips were moving. And she thanked me for being such a good listener.
Are you starting to see how silver hair can equal a silver lining behind the problems of the elderly?
And if you’re over 60 or so, you can look forward to the senior discounts on coffee, hotel rooms and theater tickets, and you can get off of federal jury duty for being too old to get to the nearest court! I wish, however, that clerks would ask me first if I really am a senior citizen before they hand me that cheap cup of coffee. I hate to think they can tell it from the wrinkles on my face and my sciatic nerve limp.
Finding silver linings in aging gets you accustomed to finding the silver in some of life’s non-age related problems.
Like, the high price of gas is a good excuse for not driving miles to visit people I don’t like in the first place. The high price of groceries makes a good excuse going down to the highway to eat something on the $5 menu at a fastfood restaurant. You certainly can’t cook anything for a fiver these days.
Now that I’ve trained myself to see the silver linings in my future, I can finally just sit back and enjoy life, mismatched outfit, blurred conversations, silver hair and all!
