The subject of 'Aging'

No one would be surprised that the subject of 'aging' is a major topic of 

conversation for seniors.

"I don't know when it happened" said Brenda as she blew out the candles on her

 83rd birthday cake."First I was young, then middle age and now I'm old...it just

 kinda crept up on me."

"When you weren't looking?"  I said, and we all laughed.

" Let me remind you," said Lily, "growing old is not for sissies!"

Sounds of agreement filled the room. "And it's so expensive here at

 our Assisted Living place," groaned Brenda. 

"I know." said Lily, worriedly, "What if I run out of money...? Where

would I go?"

I guess I was in one of my 'witty' moods; "Don't worry your money will

last if you don't...if you don't ...uh uh..."

"Don't what...live too long??" said Lily, "Thanks a lot!"

"It's simple," I quipped, "just make sure that you don't outlive your

 bank account." I waited for the laughs but there weren't any.

"Ma," said my daughter Debbie,  rolling her eyes, "that's not funny..." 

"Honey, my friends know that I'm kidding!  and... just because we're 

old doesn't mean we have to be humorless..."

"....or boring" said Brenda..."but your daughter is right," she added,

"running out of money is not funny". 

" And by the way," said Lily, pointing at me, "do  we...do you have to say everything

that comes to your mind!?"

"Okay, okay, " I said. "But you all know me...just trying to keep it 'light' ..." 

"Well, it didn't work this time." said a voice from the back of the room.

"Just because we're old," I said again, "we don't have to be gloomy."

"We're not 'gloomy,' " burst out the angry voice. "We're sensitive to the 

feelings of others... or should be!"

 Rita  stood up," No sir! I'll be 86 soon and at my age I have the right to say

anything I want  to!" Her small frail frame belied the dominating woman

within. A few others applauded and called out, "Go girl!"

I waved my hand, "Good! "I said, "So...when is our next birthday party"?

"Wednesday," answered Amy, "mine." 

"Ah, another delicious cake tomorrow," said Jane.

"No," said Rita, Tomorrow is Tuesday."

"It is? It feels so much like Tuesday today...all day it did."

"Well, today is Monday."

"Time flies so fast when you're..."

"Never mind that!"  said Rita!" She turned to Jane," When you wake up don't

you have to know what day it is...what month?"

"Yeah, and what season are we in summer, winter...?" I added..... so you'll

 know how to dress...?"

" Duh... windows?" sneered Jane.

My daughter spoke out, " Mom, ladies, don't fight ..." Let's sing Happy Birthday

to Brenda." She opened her cell phone and pointed into the crowd as they sang.

"Here's to 100 years!" a voice called out.

"One hundred and one," came another.

"But seriously, said Lily, "not knowing what day it is...what about doctor's

appointments, and social occasions...? Don't you have a clock... a watch, 

a calendar...for Goodness Sake!"

"OK" said Jane, "I get it! Today is Monday, not Tuesday." So, now let's

change the subject."

 "Let's," I said,"and in a few minutes Debbie will show us the video

 of all of us singing." (and maybe some of your dialogue) I muttered to myself.

  "You took pictures of us Debbie?" Lily asked. "I`didn't see a camera."

   "Ah! We can take pictures now with our cell phones." she answered. "Things

   have changed since you all were...y'know ...young. The new technology

   has really enhanced our lives... such as the computer with  E Mail, Skype, 

   Facebook, Twitter, Instagram...and so on."

  "Mmm" the murmur went through the room, in which most of  them were not

  familiar with the new terms.

  " That's good" I said with emphasis, "but not everything new is more valuable than 

  anything old."

  "Like...? asked Debbie.

  Butting heads with my daughter is not my favorite thing...she was as

  adamant with her opinions as I was with mine. In fact I have told her

  that she inherited that trait from me,(which she wasn't too thrilled about).

  "Well, let me think." I began racking my (aged) brain to recall some of 

  what I'd read...( if I remembered!) 

  But my thought process was interrupted by some friends rolling in a cart

  from the kitchen with the announcement, "Ladies, here it is, our all time

  treat...ice cream, all flavors, with and without sprinkles, all kinds, cones,

 pops, sandwiches...sundaes. Come and Get 'em!"

ICE CREAM,  the words clicked in my head. That was it,  the answer I

 was looking for, not new, but one of the most enjoyable and yes, one

of the most important things in our lives...at every age! And nothing

could be further from hi tech than a vanilla ice cream cone covered in

chocolate sprinkles.

" Mmm, delicious,", I said, and all the "mmm's"  followed.  "Do you all

know that ice cream is hundreds of years old...some of our earliest Presidents 

had it in the White House and served it to guests. So," I asked Debbie, " good

example?"

" It is good," she answered.  "How old did you say  it was?"

"A few hundred years." I was excited. 

She didn't answer, but gave me a big smile. I joined my friends, eager to tell

those that didn't hear us what Debbie and I had talked about and to bring her 

into the subject. When I returned to our table she was holding her phone  and

smiling.

"Ma, I have something to show you. This phone takes pictures and videos,

 right? I can also access the internet with it so I clicked on the 'History of Ice Cream' 

and read of the earliest discovery of ice cream in China in 3000 BC. It was

 followed by Italy's, also thousands of years ago."

" Really? Wow." 

She paused and stared hard at me," I got it from Google...know what that is?"

"Of course!" I said indignantly..." but I never actually...you know... did it..."

"I can show you how...do you want me to?"

Without hesitation I answered, "Yes!"

And so began my entrance into the hi tech age of the 21st century. 

                                               THE END