Look Left, Look Right, Step Up by the Gent

There are many issues with “growing old” that are not brought up, readily. When you move out of the home you owned for decades, you no longer can ever open the front door again and feel that this home is mine. You will never walk past a plant, shrub, or tree that you had planted and worry whether it will survive. You’ll never worry about your older car dripping oil on your driveway or look at the gutters and tell yourself they need cleaning. You’ll never again grab a bucket and your hose with some car soap to wash the car on your driveway. You can’t have a catch with your son or daughter in the backyard. It hurts your heart to know that it is all in the past.

Some of the senior citizens will be in assisted living and adhere to the rules and regulations of the facility while others who are on their own are now only worried about getting the garbage to the dumpster and remembering if they have their keys, glasses and to turn off the lights when they leave the apartment. It hurts when you know it takes longer to bend down and even worse to think you can’t run anymore. You are not as concerned about what you are wearing when you go somewhere or if you need a shave. You are much more cautious and careful with life. Your voice is weaker, your handshake is weaker and people are much more eager to help you. You want to give some advice on your failures and successes but no one wants to listen. Two of the only good things are that you tend to be less selfish about everything and you have a great daughter to lean on. I take it all in stride but I can’t help but think, “getting old sucks.” Yes, I know it’s a little different for the ladies.