Growing Old (from a few years ago)

The Not So Golden Years

Give me 39—years old that is. Don’t get me wrong; I’m happy I’ve made it to 67. That’s more time than my dad had and much more than his dad had. But 39 was good. I could work all day, go out until 2:00 AM and still be ready for a new day’s work at 7:00 AM the next day. Dinner out often included a substantial hot appetizer, a 12 ounce steak with all the sides, a salad and a rich dessert. And, even though it happened, my weight gain was somewhat slow. At 67 I can handle only one of those choices and even then my weight gain seems quite rapid.

At 39 stooping to tie a shoe didn’t first require looking for a convenient handle by which I could drag myself vertical. Things that need to be moved and which used to be light are now heavy. Walks anywhere take longer. Then decisions came more quickly though I don’t know how correct they were. Now decisions take longer and much more careful deliberation and I still don’t know how correct they are.

Walking on dark streets late at night was not worrisome. Home and car doors weren’t kept locked when occupied. It never occurred to me that someone might “get me.” At 67 those things still don’t worry me but I know people, a little older perhaps, who do believe that and I wonder if that fear is going to happen to me too. Conversations then didn’t seem to focus on ailments. In fact I’ve no recollection of conversations about aches, pains, medications, the dead and the dying at age 39. Now all those things are forefront among the conversations of most of those I know.

The only way that these are the “Golden Years” is that old people are the “gold” for most of the confidence scams in the country. I’ve noticed that the police issue warnings via the media cautioning senior citizens to watch out for the “pigeon drop scam, the Canadian lottery scam, the home repair scam, the driveway recoating scam, etc.” They never issue warnings to young married couples, college grads, bowling teams, union members, or any other easy to identify demographic group. It’s always old folks. I have to conclude that the scam artists know their marks and that we seniors simply aren’t as sharp, as clever, as smart as we used to be. It is either that or they know they can prey on some element of greed that sets in as we age.

I venture that every one of my age peers when still young heard from parents and older friends and have passed on to their children; “There is no free lunch.” or “If it seems to good to be true it is.” or “You get what you pay for.” or “You can’t get something for nothing.” Yet, we (us gray hairs) keep getting scammed. Are we too trusting, too dumb or too greedy? I don’t know but it may be time for us to include our close friends and our children in decisions where serious money is at stake. I might buy into “The Leaden Years” though.