Monday, July 2, 2012

Kicking and Screaming into Old Age


In "Terms of Endearment" Shirley MacLaine mentioned to her daughter something about being middle-aged.  Debra Winger then said, "Mother, you're not middle-aged.  How many 120 year women do you see walking around?"

At age thirty, I thought that was really funny; as I approach sixty, not so much!

Maybe I'm a young 59er?  I am a college professor and I'm surrounded by nineteen and twenty year-olds.  I consider grads of 4 years ago as colleagues; ripe old age of 24 or 25.

So, you can imagine how hard it is for me to get old!

This past weekend my wife and I and some friends went on weekend getaway to a hundred year-old resort in the middle of Maine.  I should have realized something was wrong as I was slugging my suitcase and a couple of other bags up the stairs to my room when I looked up and saw a little old man grabbing the hand rail for life on the other side of the stairs.  He literally had fear in his eyes that I might knock him down!

Later on the first night, my wife and I went to the main house to see what the nightly music was like.  I must admit, I was thinking Jennifer Grey in "Dirty Dancing".  When we entered the room I heard my wife gasp.  Every member of the band was ten to twenty years older than we were.  All the couples on the dance floor were older than the band.

We got out of there as fast as we could!

I wonder what this band was like when the resort opened?

I hate the idea of having to make sure I will have enough income at retirement.  I absolutely hate the idea of having to plan for long-term care giving.  I hate having to discuss the different scenarios of who dies first.

I just hate getting old!

Anyone else out there have the same feelings?


Professor Tom Laurie

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