Sunday, January 06, 2008
A Sudden, Haunting Feeling of Mortality Sinks In
I decided to grow back my beard this winter, and as usual it came in easily. Not as usual, and probably not surprisingly, considering the state of my goatee and hair, it came in quite gray. No, actually it came in very gray.
And so yesterday we were out for the boys to get their hair cut, and Jo and I were sitting and waiting when a woman brought her 20-month-old child past our gauntlet (we were sitting across from each other in a smallish space) to see her daddy. I smiled at the girl but she balked, and so I laughed and said that I would turn and look the other way, which made her feel safe enough to walk on by.
None of this bothered me. What cut, just a little, was when the mother smiled and thanked me and told me I must be a father or a grandfather.
If you'll excuse me, I'm off now to get me a glass of Metamucil.
I decided to grow back my beard this winter, and as usual it came in easily. Not as usual, and probably not surprisingly, considering the state of my goatee and hair, it came in quite gray. No, actually it came in very gray.
And so yesterday we were out for the boys to get their hair cut, and Jo and I were sitting and waiting when a woman brought her 20-month-old child past our gauntlet (we were sitting across from each other in a smallish space) to see her daddy. I smiled at the girl but she balked, and so I laughed and said that I would turn and look the other way, which made her feel safe enough to walk on by.
None of this bothered me. What cut, just a little, was when the mother smiled and thanked me and told me I must be a father or a grandfather.
If you'll excuse me, I'm off now to get me a glass of Metamucil.
Labels: age
// posted by Derryl Murphy @ 12:10 PM 
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I get this ALL the time when I am out with Kasia. "Oh what a cute child your granddaughter is!" "Uh, no," I always respond, " I made this one!" They're always surprised, then nod knowingly and say, "Second family, eh? My cousin Fred did that after too with his second wife. " The sound of my teeth grinding never seems to slow them down.
But you don't feel REALLY old until they STOP asking if you qualify for the senior discount, and just give it to you automatically.
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But you don't feel REALLY old until they STOP asking if you qualify for the senior discount, and just give it to you automatically.
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