THE PRIVILEGE OF GROWING OLD

The last leg of our trip to Florida was so uneventful as to be boring. We left our daughter’s house Saturday morning, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and drove to about 85 miles from the Georgia state line. We encountered little traffic and managed to log a little over 500 miles for the day. That left us with less than 400 miles for the next day.

We figured that by Sunday we would start to run into many families returning home from their Thanksgiving Day trip to grandma’s house, so we got up early, 5:30, and were on the road by a little after 6:00. We did not meet those families. Traffic was actually light for most of the trip.

The only slow-down came while we were in Georgia. Everyone was cruising along at 65, 70 (the speed limit) and a few doing 75 or 80. That’s the way it always is: some drivers staying close to five miles per hour under the speed limit, most driver staying close to the speed limit, and a few (like me) setting the cruise control at five mph over the speed limit. Everyone behaves themselves, stays in their lane, and you only need to be alert for the traffic bubbles of cars all going a little faster or slower then you are going. I was in the right-hand lane when that lane almost came to a complete stop.

We were still moving but at only about 45 mph. Well, you know how it works when you are in a slow-moving lane of traffic. The left lane was moving along at the normal speed, so you want to pull out and get in that lane. Unless you are quick, you have to wait for the cars behind you to get around you before you can change lanes. My turn finally arrived and I pulled out, speeded up to stay with the group and looked ahead to see what was causing the slow down.

As the faster left lane allowed me to move up, I saw one car blocking the right hand lane, moving at about 45 mph. There was nothing but open road in front of this car, so I guessed that the driver was having motor problems and had to drive slowly until he/she could limp to the next exit ramp. That was not the case, however.

As I pulled alongside the slow moving vehicle, I laughed. Sitting in the driver’s seat, peering straight ahead with a white-knuckle death grip on the steering wheel was a snowy-haired Grandma Moses. All you could see was white-haired little woman whose head barely cleared the steering wheel, and who was unaware of anything behind or beside her. You had to love her – even while you wished she would speed up or get off the road. And, no, I haven’t forgotten that Joyce and I are a grandma and grandpa, but I don’t yet drive on the Interstate at a cautious 45 mph.

We made it around Jacksonville without encountering any serious traffic and arrived at our place by two o’clock Sunday afternoon. We got the car unloaded and most things put away that evening.

Now we can start enjoying the sunshine, the heated pool, some golf and our winter friends.

We know that growing old is a privilege. Six of our friends in the Schenectady area lost that privilege this past year, so we know how lucky we are. We strive to enjoy each day and each other. We also try to contribute something to someone’s welfare or happiness each day.

I start by just smiling when I met someone, whether I knew them not. We old folks often walk around with a dour look on our puss. You might think we were mad at the world if you went by the look on our faces. So, when I pass anyone down here in “heavens waiting room” I put a big smile on my face and act happy to see them. They may go away wondering who that grinning idiot was, but they almost always smile back.

They may have good reason to look uncomfortable, even angry. Who knows? They may actually hurt or have cause to be unhappy. Most of us old codgers have one or maybe a half-dozen physical problems, so some level of pain is our constant companion. I can choose to laugh or cry. I figure I’d rather be labeled the village idiot than the town grouch, so I smile when I pass someone and try to brighten their day a bit.