I was expecting UPS. The little camera is on the way.
Instead, there stood a friend. Why, now? And at lunchtime!
“Hi, there.” She was
among a group of ladies my age that I met when I came to live in Tallahassee.
She was one of the two who did not mesh with me. I should have introduced them
to each other, in hindsight. Me, I don’t waste my time sitting in classes. I
can paint in oils or watercolor, but I don’t. I can write and I do. I stopped
going to Tai Chi classes on principal. I’m not an attendee. I particularly don’t
want writing lessons.
“You look good.” I thanked her. I looked at her. So. I am
holding up well, comparatively, at seventy-one. I smiled.
I’ve wondered, at times, if I have gone to pot. Literally. I’ve
let the hair go grey and now I’m growing it out from short-short. It’s not out
of laziness, I’ve told myself, but honesty. Now allergic to almost every brand
of makeup, I only wear a little 15 SPF tinted moisturizer.
Manicures and pedicures are out, too. Every pedicurist I use
mangles my left big toenail and gives me a lovely but painful three weeks of
life. Cleaning a squirrel cage, gardening, and a cat box precludes manicures. Not only does the polish chip in one day, but
think of the germs.
I took another look at her. Long flowing skirt from the
eighties, worn sandals, tee, modern blonde short bob, dewy makeup, painted lips
(fingers and toes), lots of blush and powder…I guess her idea of the aging
artist.
I’ve all but emptied my closet, too. Board meeting suits
went to a charity for battered women - to wear on job interviews. Work uniforms
(khaki pants and Land’s End Sweaters) were given to Goodwill. Polyester (ugh) store-monogrammed
jackets, trashed.
I have enough. I have no skirts from former decades. Nothing
is old. Young people should shop the vintage market, not old women, unless the
clothes are new and styled to simply look like something from the 40’s, 50’s,
or 60’s.
My shoes are new and comfortable. I have a couple of pair of
very expensive but low heels for life’s emergencies. Otherwise, I still buy new
Jack Rogers sandals every spring – a throwback from living on the beach. They
never go out of style unless they get shabby and rundown. I have numerous pairs
of converse. They are all the rage in Europe at the moment. Then there are
ballet flats, plain and dressy, and always good quality. I baby the toe. The
feet get the best. I have boots for winter! Nice.
Bags are still my weakness. I have fewer of them, now. I try
to choose for the technological hardware that must be carried. I try to keep my
back and shoulder in mind. I try to wear them out before I buy more. In all
honesty, I’m doing so much better. I’m going to use last year’s fall and winter
purses again next season. They are turning into It bags!
“Come in.” I smiled. Hmm.
What for lunch? I reached for yogurt, fresh fruit, tupelo honey, a medley of
salad greens. Clouds were forming so I opted for the patio. A breeze was
shooing the flies and mosquitoes away. I opened a nice crisp white wine and
poured. I keep two bottles chilling.
I am a differently-shaped person, suddenly, although I eat
right and get enough exercise. I’m trying to get over worrying about it. Just
another phase. Living well! The woman in
front of me is tiny, skinny, drawn, with wrinkles galore. I can’t wish that on
myself.
We talked a good while and, honestly, it was pleasant to have
the company, in spite of the technology, current event, and homemaking lapses
in our conversation. I just stuck to the things she could talk about – aches and
pains, the foibles of grown children, the pitfalls of aging.
I wasn't really feeling it. A man once told me that getting old would be the bravest thing I would ever do. I know it’s true – sooner or later illness and death come to each of us. For now, I’m pretty laid back about the whole aging process, pretty graceful, pretty well on schedule!
I wasn't really feeling it. A man once told me that getting old would be the bravest thing I would ever do. I know it’s true – sooner or later illness and death come to each of us. For now, I’m pretty laid back about the whole aging process, pretty graceful, pretty well on schedule!
