Old, is not a Bad Thing

Simply stated ‘OLD’ means having lived for a long time; no longer young. Simple yes? Not so much.

I have several friends that react every time I say something about being old as if I have an STD. One friend refuses to say the word old and asks, “How many years” a person might be. Old is not a dirty word. Why is it cute to ask a toddler how old they are but at some age, it becomes an insult?

Getting older is something I never really thought about, and I’m surprised I have lived this long. With that statement, one might think I’m well into my eighties or even nineties. Surprise, I’m working on the second half of my sixty-sixth year.

True, there was a time when I thought being twenty-one was cool because one could legally drink, but thirty was pushing the coolness factor. Forty and fifty-year-olds were our parents and grandparents. Here I am, looking down the back side of my sixties. What happened?

Let me tell you.  School, traveling, husbands, children, jobs, unemployment, broken hearts, happiness, joy, sadness, food, moving, and adventures most people would never give a second thought. I would have never been able to do all the things I have done if I hadn’t reached the ‘Old’ status. Old is not a bad thing!

I think about all the people I have known in my life who are no longer living and I bet they all wish they were older. I’m not saying I do not consider my mortality from time to time. My goodness, I am human, but I do not dwell on the fact that I’m going to die one day.

When I say I’m old, don’t take it as an insult. If you know me, think of all the memories we have made together. Remember all the times we have laughed or cried together. Think of all the new memories we might make together.  If you don’t know me, stop and wonder of all the things I have seen and done over the years. The decades I have witnessed. The history I saw being made and the history I made. Old is not a bad thing unless it’s dairy products! So far I’m not green and moldy. I might be wrinkled, gray, heavier than I once was, slower than I ever was, repeat myself, or forget things, but I’m still here. Growing older every day, and taking advantage of each day. Tomorrow is not promised no matter your age.

The very best part of being old, is I say and do what I damn well, please. Some people look at me with that, “look at that old lady,” look, and I just laugh. I think to myself, “If you’re lucky you will live to be my age.”

If I’m lucky, I’ll keep on surprising myself with more age, more adventures, more love and more laughing.