Older Surprises

Question

I'm not sure I've earned a challenge since I won by being the sole responder, but here goes:

Growing old (or older) brings some things we expected.  It also brings surprises -- some good, some bad.  And some funny.  Aging is a great way to strip away our ego and learn many of the same things people join monasteries to learn -- humility being not the least of these.  I find young people beautiful and brave, but harsh.  Old people are like pies, crusty but sweet inside.  One invents funny aphorisms as one goes along, which would never have occurred to us at an earlier age. Share them if you like.  Tell it your way,

If you are younger, tell about what surprised you when you became a teenager.  

This challenge is all about humor.  No other guidelines about length or form.

Answer 1

Just off the top of my head.

AGE BEFORE BEAUTY

I never cared about anyone else's age.  No judgements here, but I was surprised at the two times when my own age freaked me out.  The first time was my 29th birthday.  It was devistating to know that I only had one more year of my 20s.  Ouch.  It did give me a kick in the butt, though.  I realized that time was slipping by and I needed to apply myself better.  I'll tell you - for an old hippie who'd been pretty wasted for 10 years, that was a revelation.

The next time I visited that void was at my daughter's 16th birthday party.  She was getting older and I felt ancient to have a 16 year old kid.  That was about the time I noticed one of life's little secret surprises.  THE OLDER YOU GET, THE YOUNGER EVERYONE ELSE LOOKS.  College kids look like high school freshmen and older people don't look that old anymore.

And me? I'm on some merry-go-round where I sometimes feel old compared to everyone else.

Now the old hippie has a decent carreer and he sits around wondering if he'll outlive his cat.  In a way he wants to, but in a way he doesn't.

Comments

Thanks for a great response, giraffe.  So funny and so true!  Sorry to take so long to comment -- I have been too busy to get to my computer.

Answer 2

I didn't think of myself as being older although I knew that I was sick with things that "older" people have. I was still active to a degree, not yet confined to bed as I am today. In my sewing room, I spent hours creating things for my adult children and for their new babies and young toddlers. Another daughter-in-law was pregnant for the first time and I knew I had to get into gear. I had already finished the quilt with butterflies fluttering across the blanket. Now, I was finishing the bassinet which included a full skirt, a hood, an inside lining, and the finishing touch was a cascading drapery that would be suspended from a ring and have handmade butterflies tacked on to look like they had just landed to peek at the new baby.

As I stepped back to determine where the last butterfly would land, my five-year-old granddaughter walked by the sewing room, saying, "Hi, Gremmy" as she passed. I responded with the usual, "Hey, sweetie," and I waited to hear the hallway door close. It didn't come, but what did come was that little waif with her big eyes looking at my masterpiece.

"Wow, Gremmy. That's beautiful. Can you make me one when I have a baby?"

"Sure," I told her and she walked back down the hall. Still no door closed, but her little voice came through my door. "Gremmy, could you make it now. You probably won't be around when my baby comes. You're so old now."

Okay, shock and laughter combined when I promised to do that very soon. That was the day I realized I was getting older and as they say, "Out of the mouths of babes."

Comments

Beautiful, EmyO !  Your writing style makes me feel like I am actually there.  And funny!  We can get by without a sense of humor as kids and adults,  but in old age it is absolutely essential. -- sorry for the long delay in commenting back to you --  I have been swamped in real life and unable to have my computer times.