In my part of the state -- the part we lump together and call “North Atlanta” -- we also have Dr. Leila Denmark, who is 113. She is currently the 7th-oldest person alive in the world. Much beloved locally, she was the oldest practicing pediatrician in the world when she retired at the age of 103 in 2001.
Compared to them, I’m still a youngster at 70.
There’s a guy about my age in England who writes a blog called Grumpy Old Ken that is usually a real hoot. Now and then, though, he makes us stop laughing and brings a tear to the eye.
A good example is this recent post of his, which includes a poem about an old man being cared for by nurses.
Ken mentioned the current state of his teeth, his eyesight, his knees, and his departing hair as signs of his own rapid decline. With me, it’s something else altogether. I could deny it until the other evening, but I cannot deny it any longer.
The other evening, Mrs. RWP and I were watching television when she suddenly said, “Would you get me a Q-tip?”
Being the helpful, thoughtful, and thoroughly obedient husband that I am, I immediately arose and walked toward the master bedroom because the master bedroom leads to the master bathroom and that’s where the Q-tips are. I thought I heard Mrs. RWP say, “Where are you going?” but I didn’t answer because she knew darned well where I was going.
I retrieved a Q-tip and brought it back to Mrs. RWP, who was still sitting in her chair watching television. I stood in front of her and held up the Q-tip. She had a quizzical look on her face.
“What is that?” she said.
“You asked me to get you a Q-tip,” I said, growing a little impatient and wondering whether Mrs. RWP was at last beginning to lose it. “Here it is.”
“I didn’t ask for a Q-tip," Mrs. RWP replied. “I asked if you would get me a few chips.”
We both had a good laugh.
It was a simple mistake.
I told myself anyone could make it.
But I'm the one who did.
In his post, Grumpy Old Ken quoted a couple of famous lines written by Robert Burns:
“O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!”
You know what? I really saw myself the other evening.
