1/
Wisdom
I was sitting bedside with a Grady elder one day. My arm elbow was propped on the bedside rail as I asked if she had any questions.
Her: “No, I’on’t think so.”
Me: *slow nod*
She raised an eyebrow.
Her: “Do YOU have you questions?”
Me: “Me?”
Wisdom
I was sitting bedside with a Grady elder one day. My arm elbow was propped on the bedside rail as I asked if she had any questions.
Her: “No, I’on’t think so.”
Me: *slow nod*
She raised an eyebrow.
Her: “Do YOU have you questions?”
Me: “Me?”
2/
She leaned back in the bed and chuckled.
Her: “Well. You got somebody in front of you that’s made 82. That’s 12 more than the good Lord promised, see.”
I nodded in deference and reflected on the biblical reference:
“The days of our years are threescore years and ten. . .”
She leaned back in the bed and chuckled.
Her: “Well. You got somebody in front of you that’s made 82. That’s 12 more than the good Lord promised, see.”
I nodded in deference and reflected on the biblical reference:
“The days of our years are threescore years and ten. . .”
3/
I squinted one eye and thought about her question.
Me: “I do have a question.”
Her: *eyes widened*
Me: “What advice would you give to your 50-year-old self?”
Her: “My 50-year-old self?”
She clapped her hands and rocked back and forth.
Her: “Whooo weeee!”
I squinted one eye and thought about her question.
Me: “I do have a question.”
Her: *eyes widened*
Me: “What advice would you give to your 50-year-old self?”
Her: “My 50-year-old self?”
She clapped her hands and rocked back and forth.
Her: “Whooo weeee!”
4/
Her: “I’d tell her, ‘Girl, you ain’t old, baby, so keep it in high gear. It ain’t time to downshift!’”
*pause*
Her: “Hold up—do you even know what I’m talkin’ ‘bout?”
Me: “Ma’am?”
Her: “You ever learn to drive a manual?”
Me: “You mean can I drive stick?”
Her: “I’d tell her, ‘Girl, you ain’t old, baby, so keep it in high gear. It ain’t time to downshift!’”
*pause*
Her: “Hold up—do you even know what I’m talkin’ ‘bout?”
Me: “Ma’am?”
Her: “You ever learn to drive a manual?”
Me: “You mean can I drive stick?”
5/
Me: “Yes, ma’am. I sure can.”
Her: *looks me up and down* “Like for real or is you just talkin’?”
*laughter*
Me: “For real! Like so for real that my left leg used to be bigger than my right from a tight clutch in my old VW.”
Her: “Oooh okay then! I see you!”
*laughter*
Me: “Yes, ma’am. I sure can.”
Her: *looks me up and down* “Like for real or is you just talkin’?”
*laughter*
Me: “For real! Like so for real that my left leg used to be bigger than my right from a tight clutch in my old VW.”
Her: “Oooh okay then! I see you!”
*laughter*
6/
Her: “At 50, I felt like I was up in age. My body started going through the change. Grey hairs started popping up every damn where! And folks ‘round me started being old enough to get sick and die.”
Me: *listening*
Her: “So I guess I started operating like I was next.”
Her: “At 50, I felt like I was up in age. My body started going through the change. Grey hairs started popping up every damn where! And folks ‘round me started being old enough to get sick and die.”
Me: *listening*
Her: “So I guess I started operating like I was next.”
7/
She went on.
Her: “Like. . . you know how you go half at fun when you feel you ain’t got enough good time left?”
*silence*
Me: “Hmmm. Kind of like not jumping in the pool on the last day of summer vacation. Even though you have the whole day.”
She snapped her finger.
She went on.
Her: “Like. . . you know how you go half at fun when you feel you ain’t got enough good time left?”
*silence*
Me: “Hmmm. Kind of like not jumping in the pool on the last day of summer vacation. Even though you have the whole day.”
She snapped her finger.
8/
Her: “Exactly!”
She shook her head and sighed.
Her: “Mmm! If somebody had’a told me I had more’n 30 whole years after I turned 50? Chile!”
She sighed again.
Me: “What would you have done?”
She trained her eyes on mine.
Her: “Shit. I woulda jumped in the pool.”
Her: “Exactly!”
She shook her head and sighed.
Her: “Mmm! If somebody had’a told me I had more’n 30 whole years after I turned 50? Chile!”
She sighed again.
Me: “What would you have done?”
She trained her eyes on mine.
Her: “Shit. I woulda jumped in the pool.”
9/
Her: “That’s what. And got the folks ‘round me to jump in with me. ‘Cause it ain’t no fun by yourself. In fact, that’s the hardest part.”
She looked out the window after that. I waited for her to say more but she just leaned back and closed her eyes.
We sat in silence.
Her: “That’s what. And got the folks ‘round me to jump in with me. ‘Cause it ain’t no fun by yourself. In fact, that’s the hardest part.”
She looked out the window after that. I waited for her to say more but she just leaned back and closed her eyes.
We sat in silence.
10/
Finally, she opened her eyes and spoke again.
Her: “Don’t downshift, Miss Manning. You hear? Not yet. Not no time soon, baby.”
Me: “Yes ma’am.”
*silence*
Her: “Okay. I’m done talking. Now go on and let me rest my eyes.”
Me: *chuckles* “Yes, ma’am.”
And that was it.
Finally, she opened her eyes and spoke again.
Her: “Don’t downshift, Miss Manning. You hear? Not yet. Not no time soon, baby.”
Me: “Yes ma’am.”
*silence*
Her: “Okay. I’m done talking. Now go on and let me rest my eyes.”
Me: *chuckles* “Yes, ma’am.”
And that was it.
11/
Today is my 51st birthday. And nothing has taught me more about graceful aging than pulling up a chair to the bedside and listening to the wisdom of the Grady elders.
Yep.
In fact, I’d tell my intern self to never get to busy to soak in the wisdom found at the bedside.
Today is my 51st birthday. And nothing has taught me more about graceful aging than pulling up a chair to the bedside and listening to the wisdom of the Grady elders.
Yep.
In fact, I’d tell my intern self to never get to busy to soak in the wisdom found at the bedside.
12/
*sight*
Grateful for my 2 score and eleven so far. Looking forward to jumping into as many pools as I can while I can.
And keeping this car in high gear while the engine is running and the road is still open ahead of me.
Bring it, AARP. 👊🏽☺️🎉
#gratitude
*sight*
Grateful for my 2 score and eleven so far. Looking forward to jumping into as many pools as I can while I can.
And keeping this car in high gear while the engine is running and the road is still open ahead of me.
Bring it, AARP. 👊🏽☺️🎉
#gratitude
Forgive the typos and grammatical errors. I wrote this on my iPhone in flight—on the last day of vacation.
P.S. I jumped in the pool before I left, too. 🏝☺️👊🏽
P.S. I jumped in the pool before I left, too. 🏝☺️👊🏽
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