Elder & Midgit

What set me off here, oh yes,  I know,  the description of a senior citizen conference I am going to attend later in the month:  "Celebrating 25 years of being positively ageless!"   My sons  (they were about 6) were at a power intersection in Minneapolis,  Hennepin and Lake.  Great place to watch people,  and (bingo!) an ancient man walked across the cross walk,  undoubtedly going for a bus there.   Cane in hand,  bent over,  legs in questionable shape,  my boys couldn't get their eyes off of him. 

Well,  he decided to honor their stares with a description of his age,  one that was honorable,  had taken some beatings getting there,  but with the help of his trusty cane still mobile,  thank you.  I don't think to that date they had ever seen anyone as old,  certainly not with his mobility.  They kind of smiled,  I (as I recall) thanked him for his understanding, and we went on. 

Later, however,  in a different cross walk at the same intersection,  A & A saw a midget woman and, again,  couldn't get their eyes off of her.  She came at us,  struggled up on the curb, and ask "what you little son of bitches are looking at?"  They kind of shrunk back,  said a few apologetic words, she wished us a "good day"  and went to her bus stop.   I had seen her before and was to see her again,  this intersection was part of her travel routine and as I went to the Post Office storefront and a store there fairly often she was a part of things.   I don't think the boys saw her again,  and if they had it might have been "interesting" to see how they handled it.

Well, back to the e l d e r l y & our coming celebration.   Another memory to share and I will close this.   On Geary St. in San Francisco when in and out of there I frequented a sailor's bar.  There was an ancient crone who came in to cage drinks and flirt with us.  She dressed like a gypsy,  and often challenged us to food races down the block for drinks.  Unless you were hopelessly drunk it was quite easy to beat her,  but often we let her win as part of our understanding of the dynamics of the situation.  Now,  why (I ask) isn't if OK to not be "positively ageless,"   to show and enjoy the bumps and grinds you have been through in your life?   It seems to this old duffer that that is perfectly acceptable,  perhaps much better than even trying to be "ageless!"