Still movin’……..

Long ago, a buddy’o mine and I, oh, mebbe 18 each, attended an X-rated Drive In movie. Uh huh, they usedta have 'em. After handing over licenses to ensure we were of age, we slowly pulled into the place, ducking down so as not to be seen/recognized. Later, we giggled “hell, if we’re here, they’re here.”

Kinda got that feel this morning, the same giggle – as I people watched/listened, at Mickey D’s. Mickey D’s for breakfast is the senior citizen equivalent to the teenagers local pizza joint, the City Park, the pool, the lake, wherever one ‘hangs’…

Interesting to watch and try to see “who’s together” – “what was their life like”.. “what happened to their mates”… are there still attempts among you to ‘suckface?’.. “Can you still..” VICTOR! Sorry. . Just wondered…

So…. as I was sitting.. “ducking down so as not to be seen/recognized” I realized, I too “am one.” Know I’ve probably blurted before – but, the day of reckoning was “I’d like a sausage biscuit and a black coffee please.” “One sausage biscuit and one Senior coffee coming right up.” Bastard. But, reckon he was right. I am one. No sense in ducking down. (And fitty-nine cents is a wonderful thing.)

I quite pride of myself for crossword completion of the daily KC Star puzzle. (Ok, you’re right, some days of the week I complete it fully.) I was seated just next to two gents, 70-ish (at least.. prolly closer to 80.) There, they each had a copy of the crossword opened… along with a laptop, two huge books (I assume dictionaries) .. and it was a verbal tag team match for them to complete jointly. One thought he found an answer – but offered it to his buddy for his confirmation.

I’m thinking to myself, “simpletons, you don’t need no laptop to do the Star’s CW puzzle, it’s cinchy.. hell even I can do it.. and my first semester in college I proudly had a 1.65 gpa.”

Then, after I’d read the paper, tossed down two cups of coffee – I too attacked the puzzle. I’d hear them say “the clue.”.. “29 across is…….”… after a few minutes of that, combined with me working the puzzle, I realized, hell, they were working the New York Times Crossword puzzle.. one my puny little brain could NEVA’ be able to do. Sorry about the ‘simpleton’ fellas.. I rearrange my thoughts to – I think it marvy that, whilst one is 70-something, to still carry the angst to learn, and doing so via modern technology is a pretty damn cool thing.. U dudes rock.

A couple across from me.. came in at different times – so I knew not together.. yet, friends – each. Guy had a cool laugh.. and quizzed the gal about life in general. Then she specifically started talking about her daughter in Louisiana.. “she wants me to move there.. nice place to visit, but I’d never live there.”..

Guy continued on asking questions… She gotta house? No… Apartment? No… “I don’t wanna talk about it.”.. Coaxed further.. “a trailer.” Double-wide? “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

She then went on talking about it, and talking about it, and talking about it. Thrice times in their conversation I heard “I don’t wanna talk about it”.. and shortly after she resembled a balloon that’s been popped… spouting, spewing… talking about it. He tried to get up and go (politely) four times.. 4th time.. “I’ve GOT to go” (nicely).. .she kept talking.. He was a gent, she was very lonely…. Certain she drove to Mickey D’s ‘cause she didn’t wanna talk about it.

Interesting the responses, not just in “old-dom”, but in regular ole regular life to the question “howya doin?”…. My pat answer at work is “tired and old.” Young punks usually giggle, say “well.. I’m tired and young.” I always follow with what Roy Williams (former KU basketball coach.. I can’t believe I’m quoting a GD [gosh darn] chickenhawk) would say.. he’d tell his players “you’re TOO YOUNG to be tired.”

Dude at Mickey D’s today. Another 70-80 tweener.. upon being asked howya doin……
“Still movin’.” Beats the hell outta the alternative. Still moving, recognizing, appreciating, enjoying. The older ya get, the more special the days are. Damn my hip hurts. Still moving, barely. No idea what I did to it. Perhaps it has something to do with a not-so-perfect golf swing. Oh well, still moving.

Mickey D's in the morning is their slice of pizza pie... their cannonball off the high dive.. their boombox in the park.. I love old people. Guess I should. I am one.

Have fun from this day forward whilst we’re still moving. Until the day I pee my pants and forget my name, love Victurd.