One Seniors Day. The Concert

                                            

                                             THE CONCERT

It's 5:40 AM and I'm up!

No, I am not a farmer or a farmer's wife, but it is July and with our

'Daylight Savings' we get sunrise at this hour.  I could stay in bed but

instead I crawl out of  it and turn the coffee maker on. I had the brilliant  

idea of bringing it up to my bedroom, so I don't have to go downstairs

for my coffee, (food can wait till later.) 

Then I turn on the TV to find my favorite 'friends', and then of course,

my computer. Any e mails this morning?  No, but there is one from my

granddaughter that she sent last night at 10... but by then I am fast asleep. 

I check my calendar for the week, tomorrow I have my trip to CVS where

I fully expect to see my fellow seniors with their coupon books. I ,(and they)

will wait until  then for the sale on certain items such as Kleenex at $.99. True, 

I really needed it a few days ago, but I'm managing  just fine by using

toilet tissue instead. 

My daughter, Debbie dropped me off at the Library for a lecture and performance

called: "A Musical Journey of  the 40's and 50's." The audience consisted of 

about 200 people, sadly, mostly women, and all grey haired, (some covered

over as  blondes, redheads or brunettes).

I had my choice of where to sit, in the front rows (to deal with my hard of

hearing problem) or in the back row to enable me to leave quietly if I found 

myself getting  upset for any reason, or if I was just simply bored. Very 

rarely did either occur.

The guest speaker introduced himself, and asked the audience if they

thought he needed to use the microphone. Those that heard him called

out YES! The rest of us didn't respond. 

One  woman, raised her hand and said with a touch of sarcasm; "Mr. Smith," 

(not his real name) "even though you think that your voice projects well ...Sir,

this is a room full of seniors, and we don't mean  high school or college

seniors..." everybody laughed, "so please use the mike!" The audience 

applauded in agreement and that included those who were wearing hearing aids!

He started the program by telling us about the music of the thirties and forties 

and singing some of them. We sang happily along and clapped to "Blue Skies...

Smiling At Me', Nothing but Blue Skies... do I see." and then"  "You gotta

Accentuate the Positive, Eliminate the Negative...Latch on to the Affirmative..."

It was fun.

From there his lecture took a turn,  "I'll Be Seeing You...In all the old 

familiar places... I'll find you in the morning sun and when the night is

new. I'll be looking at the moon but I'll be seeing you.." Written in the 30's

the song stayed popular throughout the wartime years, into the 50's, and later.

There were tears in the audience... memories of a lifetime ago, good ones and

bad ones, happy ones and sad ones.

Then he sang, "When I grow too old to dream ...I will have you to remember.

When I grow too old to dream...Your love will live in my heart,"

We sang along but our voices caught up in the words were less robust now.

The sadness in the room was palpable.

When the concert was over, we thanked the lecturer and singer and said

goodbye to each other.  I went outside to  look for Debbie. But the emotion

was still with me, and the tears that I wouldn't, couldn't allow myself in public,

flowed freely now. My daughter had parked the car right on the street, I

opened the door and got in.

"Ma, what's wrong? Are you alright?"

I dabbed at my eyes, "I'm ok..." I said, "...some of the music...well, brings

back memories..." I blubbered.

"What is that??"

"Memories?"

" I mean that." She pointed to my long strip of toilet paper. 

"Oh, yeah, I was out of tissues..."

"It looks ridiculous! Did you use it inside?"

I didn't answer.

"Come on, we'll stop at the drug store before we go home, you'll get some."

"No!" I said vehemently.

"Why? We're passing the store..." 

Uh,uh, I thought, the sale is tomorrow, but no way would I tell her that; "I'm 

just feeling a little tired, been up since dawn."

"I know Ma," she rolled her eyes,"but that toilet paper!"

"Tomorrow," I said, "I'll put it on my list." I lied, it had been on it all week.

                                                 THE END