L. from W. made a comment a couple of days ago that had me remembering some occasions that made us raise our eyebrows.
Recently, we were going for our evening walk and a child about my granddaughter's age came running along the sidewalk, smiled and said hello. She appeared to be interested in the walking sticks I was using.
She then ran to her mother and I overheard her saying, "Mommy, why is the grandma using those sticks?"
Grandma? Did she call me a Grandma? When had I made the jump to Grandma from Auntie? Most of the vendors at the Farmers Market still call me Auntie. But here was a child giving the honest truth.
Art had one of those moments a few years ago when we were in the emergency room of Tripler Army Hospital. He'd cut his finger to the bone badly on a grinder. While we waited behind a curtain of a triage unit a trio of doctors arrived. We couldn't see them, but we could hear them.
"OK... We've got a full night here. We'll work on the young lady with the broken leg first, then you can take the little girl with the laceration on the arm. Then we'll work on the old guy's finger."
Art and I looked at each other. Old guy? Who could they be talking about? Then we could hardly contain our laughter.
Good gracious! We're now the old people.
When the doctors finally got around to injecting Art's finger a thousand times to numb it, then scrubbing out every germ from his wound, and sewing him up, we had a truly rollicking time with the three doctors. They did a fabulous job and we really enjoyed being with those young men, but the thing that makes us laugh the most is when we remember that moment of Art being called the "Old Guy."
Recently, we were going for our evening walk and a child about my granddaughter's age came running along the sidewalk, smiled and said hello. She appeared to be interested in the walking sticks I was using.
She then ran to her mother and I overheard her saying, "Mommy, why is the grandma using those sticks?"
Grandma? Did she call me a Grandma? When had I made the jump to Grandma from Auntie? Most of the vendors at the Farmers Market still call me Auntie. But here was a child giving the honest truth.
Art had one of those moments a few years ago when we were in the emergency room of Tripler Army Hospital. He'd cut his finger to the bone badly on a grinder. While we waited behind a curtain of a triage unit a trio of doctors arrived. We couldn't see them, but we could hear them.
Art and I looked at each other. Old guy? Who could they be talking about? Then we could hardly contain our laughter.
Good gracious! We're now the old people.
When the doctors finally got around to injecting Art's finger a thousand times to numb it, then scrubbing out every germ from his wound, and sewing him up, we had a truly rollicking time with the three doctors. They did a fabulous job and we really enjoyed being with those young men, but the thing that makes us laugh the most is when we remember that moment of Art being called the "Old Guy."
Yeah, it's a thin line. We gotta cross it sometime . . .
ReplyDeleteIt's like when younger people started offering me their seat on the bus.
I don't know when I became the little old lady, either, but it happened. The white hair and wrinkles help me along that line. But it happens to everybody who lives long enough! :-)
ReplyDeletelol, this is a funny post Kay! Maybe the walking sticks made you seem that much older in her mind. Let's just continue to tell ourselves it's all in how we feel, we'll never be 'old'!
ReplyDeleteahh, so funny, circle of life huh,
ReplyDeletetry the word "elderly" on-it doesn't seem like a laughing matter at my age...
ReplyDeleteOur grandson reminds Bob often that he's old. A little 6 year old girl once asked my mother how old she was. When she said 80 the little girl replied "You're going to die soon aren't you?"
ReplyDeleteI have certainly had to adjust my mind to thinking of myself on the old side, but it is still a little jolt when someone else points out this reality.
ReplyDeleteWell, you ARE a grandma, aren't you?
ReplyDeleteYes, but even grandmas are usually referred to as aunties here in Hawaii.
DeleteOh, what a fun post for the day -- I mean it's fun when you can laugh about getting older and since that's really all you can do, lets get as many laughs as possible!! You and Art have such a great attitude that neither of you need worry about getting "older", you're just getting wiser! Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteSylvia
Oh that was funny!
ReplyDeleteLol. Old? Bah, humbug! I am still called Aunty. Some people even ask if I am pregnant. What a compliment! A 66 yr old young enough to be pregnant! Lol.
ReplyDeleteLol, I wonder if my DIL will read this post. Recently I told her about the few blogs from Hawaii that I read. Anyway, the most humbling is when her son, our grandson, called us the "old grandpa, grandma" vs. "dancing grandpa, grandma" (her parents). How can we be when we're younger we thought. It was share day at his elementary school where he is a kindergartener. He pointed to our pictures and said we are his "fun grandpa,grandma" (because he said his other grandparents are much stricter). Somewhere along she said we went from old to fun. But we get called old a lot, especially my husband who is turning white AND bald. Heck we were getting over 55 discounts in our 40s.
ReplyDeleteL. from W.
It's true that they assume we need the senior discounts now. LOL
DeleteI like the old joke...over the hill, what hill, did you see a hill?? Dianne
ReplyDeletesomehow we still see ourselves as 20-somethinger's.
ReplyDeleteWell... no, not really. How about 40 something. :-)
DeleteUnfortunately, I have passed that fine line, too, but I really don't mind it. I'm very happy to be called "Grandma"...it takes a lot of pressure off. Tired of trying to look good or in style or thin. I've earned these wrinkles and uh...paunch?? Oh well, can't all be good, but call me Grandma anytime! Ha!
ReplyDeleteI have always liked old people...now, I am one!
ReplyDeleteAnd hey, as long as something makes you laugh then you will always be young at heart!
I hate it when I hear the news reader referring to 'an elderly woman of 63'. That could be me, and I certainly wouldn't class myself as elderly, I'm still middle aged, even though I am getting my pension now, and a free bus pass! Poor Christopher went white at a very early age and was most put out when a barber offered him an OAP discount, when he was still in his early fifties. I have the opposite problem, my hair is still dark, with very few greys and nobody ever offers me a discount, I have to ask for it. And I don't mind asking, I'm fine with saving money.
ReplyDeletegood morning Kay~ i simply love this post. it reminds me of my ex husband who was called my dad once, lol. he didn't like that as he was only in his late 20s. it didn't help that i looked 12 though i was in my early 20s. i think people age differently... some slower, some faster. so it gives the impression sometimes we're older than we are. glad you two got a good laugh from it though. have a great day~
ReplyDeleteoh. my. gosh... i have found a way to comment on your blog again. i was having trouble with the embedded comment form before. i am a happy girl. now if it will continue to work for me, :) hope all has been well with you since my absence.
ReplyDeleteYae!!! I'm glad you're back. I love your comments! I've added you to my sidebar too so I can find you easier.
DeleteIt's funny how service persons (waiters, waitresses, clerks, etc.) will always manage to tell us some story about their grandparents or tell us how much we remind them of their grandparents. I'm pretty sure we did the same in our youth and have to remember "what goes around comes around."
ReplyDeleteYup. What one overhears can be a revelation. One came recently when I heard a young lady say to her friend, "Did you see what that old guy's t-shirt says?" She was pointing at me. The shirt said, "Everything goes better with ketchup."
ReplyDeleteI'm proud of my wrinkles! It shows I've done something!!!! With my mom passing, I'm the matriarch. Good place to be!
ReplyDelete