On Getting Older

Recently I’ve observed rather a lot of bewildering or sad (to me) behaviors/statement/beliefs/actions about what one does, or doesn’t do, as we get older. This has included things like:

• Retiring to a place rather than living in the wonderful home one already has. Not only did our friends retire to a place, far from their adult child, but they lace their dialog with ‘now that we’re living on a fixed income…’ They had a lovely, brand new home built, in this other place, and own it outright. They travel (or will when it’s safe again to do) to Italy every couple of years, and love to go wine tasting regularly. But they moved away from everyone they knew, and now use retirement-speak, because that’s what you do. Don’t get me wrong… I love them and will always be delighted to spend time with them when I find myself in their neck of the woods, but I am perplexed at the lingo and choices.
• A friend I’ve known for just over 30-years, and who has entered the second 50-years of her life declared that there is no potato chip consumption after the age of 50. Ever. Really? Not even the Buffalo Blue flavor? Not a handful and a half with a turkey burger on the 4th of July? Never? Ever?
• The husband of a girlfriend has kinda gone off an ‘end.’ I don’t think it’s a deep-end, but he spent the first hour+ of our sitting down together, for the first time in years, getting a lot off his chest in a very agitated fashion. Kind of like I was a new audience for him. My friend gave me knowing glances (is that the aging part, or his irascibility, or both?) and I exercised interest and patience.

Other friends are aging physically or mentally. One friend told me confidential family news they told me 4-years ago… I gave them the space they needed and listened like it was brand new information. Another is unable to keep up with their house, at all (the leaking roof and mousy roommates), and yet another suddenly has tremors.

Getting old is, hopefully, part of life. Maybe I notice these changes because many of my friends are 10-years, or more, older than I am. Thankfully no one is manifesting all the symptoms of impending geezerhood. 😏