Eating Your Words

Excerpt from Daily Cures, Wisdom for Healthy Aging by Connie Mason Michaelis

I was sitting on the front porch of my house with a friend, watching our six children play in the yard. My friend and I were in a time of life when children's and kids' activities consumed our thinking and our time. In our world, nothing could be more important than that! I was sharing that my in-laws would be unavailable to babysit Friday night because they were planning a trip to Sun City to visit friends in a retirement community. I so boldly pronounced, “Who in the world would want to live with a bunch of old people!” I remember the conversation like it was yesterday, but it was at least 40 years ago. The reason I remember the dialogue so vividly is because I have eaten those words many times in the later part of my life. Words that you end up eating are like medicine---they may be bitter, but you’re a better person for doing it.

Old is such a negative word in our culture, but truthfully, it represents the best time in life.  My favorite gerontologist, Dr. Jerry Old, calls us vintage people. Being vintage has many advantages. I have no desire to be back on the porch supervising the kids as a parent. Being a grandparent is different; you get to leave the rascals and go to your own home for peace and quiet!  Living with a bunch of vintage people is perfect. You can share common interests, enjoy the freedom to do as you please, take time to explore new things, exercise your hard-earned wisdom, and set your own priorities. No one is dictating when you get up or how you spend your day. Interesting that if you ask the average 30-year-old what they’d like more of, it would be all of the advantages older people have. Thank heavens I’ve eaten those words, and I realize now that being with a bunch of vintage people is just great!