A couple of weeks ago the fellow who owns a plot of land next to us was up there visiting it. When he was chatting with Andy he said Andy was looking good for someone his age.
When Andy told me about it we both laughed. At least the fellow was honest. People used to come up to us and say, “You’re looking great!” It was warm and friendly, but Andy and I figured they were thinking, “OMG, they’ve gotten so old!”
Is it possible our mirrors aren’t lying to us after all?
It reminds me of us shopping in Santa Fe about 25 years ago. The cashier clearly mistook us for another couple. Apparently old people (over 40?) all look alike. She was genuinely happy to see us/them and said,
Oh, you’re out and about today! How nice.
And about 35 years ago we were at a tourist spot in the Canadian Rockies. Andy joked as he carefully walked off a glacier,
I have to be careful so I don’t break a hip.
A sweet young woman said,
I know! I was going to offer you help, but you seemed to be doing all right.
So people have thought of us as old for years and years now, and that’s just fine. My favorite quote on the subject is still Andy Rooney’s,
I didn’t get old on purpose, it just happened. If you’re lucky, it could happen to you.
—Andy Rooney
Fingers crossed for us all. 😀
June 30, 2020
Oh, I love that quote. Several years ago…Roger might have been in his late 40’s…he come home laughing and said when he stopped at Hardee’s that morning, the kid waiting on him something about was that with the senior discount. He didn’t get mad, but told the kid, no, I am only 48? yrs old…I said you should have said, yes, thank-you and went on. LOL
On the other hand, at work one day, I brought in a load of apples and my boss was standing talking to a gentleman. After he left, he asked me how old I thought the man was. I can’t remember what number I started with…probably 65-70…the man was 91! And he had ask my boss to guess his age and he was like me…it is still hard to believe he was 91. and that has been over 20 yrs ago.
That 91-year-old was impressive!
I LOVED Andy Rooney. he knew what was what.
my goal is to live as long and as graciously as Mrs. Hancock.
she lived in upstate NY and was a neighbor of my Gram. when I visited Gram before and after Mother died… Mrs Hancock would have the three of us into her tiny apt for lunch. she prepared it herself and we were served on wooden tv tables. she used her best china (she used it everyday anyway I found out later!) and it was always simple and delicious. she was housebound but got around in her apt just fine. she had a reading chair where she read MANY library books on all kinds of subjects! she had a dear sister Jessie who would come and stay the night with her on occasion. they were adorable together.
like two young girls!
Mrs Hancock was 105 the last time I was there. she had watched as her dad walked back to their home from the civil war. but you had to ASK her to talk of the past. she lived very much in the present! she had a college degree when women were not even allowed to go to college. she became a teacher.
I just loved her!
Thanks you. She sounds like a great role model!
And we are VERY VERY lucky!!
Yes. And we have sense enough to be grateful.
Good quote and so true. This reminded me of the “compliment” my husband used to always give me. He would always say that I looked great for a woman my age. I used to tell him that he was doing good until he got to to the for a woman my age part…lol
When we were first married and getting ready to go to a party, I would tell Andy, “Tell me I look nice. I don’t care if you lie as long as you lie convincingly.” 😀
Love the Rooney quote. It’s a new one to me.
It’s a gem. 😀
My husband never gives a compliment about me or anyone on TV or the talking news heads or anyone he sees anywhere he always says at the end of whatever he says for their age or for their race or for their anyting. And I always say why can’t you just say that’s a beautiful woman. He even says things like she looks really good for an old woman or she looks really good to be so skinny or she looks really good to be so fat
Some people are hopeless. 😀
*haha* What an amazing post, Jean. A real joy to read…. and one we can relate to also! 😀 Love, Andrea xoxo
Thanks. 🙂
A guy I used to work with often said “It beats the alternative.”
I’ve never wanted to be younger than I am, I would have to give up too much.
I have an awful lot of trouble convincing people that I’m old…that yes I’m entitled to have the public transport AT Gold Hop card. Not that anyone i.e. driver has suggested not…but once at the ferry terminal, and I produced the government gold card which now has my mug shot on it…solved that real quick.
According to friends, it the lack of old age wrinkles….but as I type here, I can definitely see them. I do know that at times, I see a person who looks real old, and I might comment, “you don’t have a gold hop card” and discover they aren’t even 60, “got another decade to go…”
some people equate the wonky trembly hands to that status and then get a huge fright to discover “had them all my life”…
We can’t tell by looks, can we? 🙂
no you can’t
but then you get the person, who tells you that they are say that they just got the “gold card” – you’ll enjoy the savings when you get one. To discover I’ve had mine already xyz years (2020 I’ve had it just over 4 years) – the look on that persons’ face is just priceless! They try to recover by asking what is your secret to looking so good/young? 🙂