I have a new response for almost everything. It's "I'm sorry it's my fault for getting old".
I've noticed since I decided to let my hair be silver that people react differently to me. It's interesting.
In some cases, people are nicer but in other cases, people treat you like you have lost all of your senses.
On one hand, car mechanics don't charge me for things they used to. On the other hand, they explain things to me like I just fell off the turnip truck and have lost my marbles.
I cut them some slack because I don't want to shell out the money.
I smile while saying to myself, "I'm sorry it's my fault for getting old".
Yesterday I was driving down my road going five miles over the speed limit when some type A driver whipped around me and gave me the finger.
Once again I mumbled to myself, "I'm sorry it's my fault for getting old".
This morning I couldn't find my container of oatmeal. I finally realized that I had put it in the refrigerator instead of the cupboard. I looked at it and said, "I'm sorry it's my fault for getting old".
When exactly did I start apologizing to inanimate objects?
Now I want to know when bashing baby boomers became a recreational sport.
This morning I read an article about how baby boomers basically need to sit down and shut up. It listed all of the reasons why everyone who isn't a baby boomer thinks we are destroying the world.
Apparently they have written whole books on the subject.
They hate the things we say. They hate the things we do. We stole their future.
We are all lumped into the same category and apparently, we are not allowed to question it when they do that.
There is a collective rolling of eyes when you politely ask them not to lump a whole group of people together based on their age.
I have been known to question their collective ageism, but I guess I will now say "I'm sorry, it's my fault for getting old".
Hold on there is a point where I draw the line. I will not apologize for expressing my opinion and I will not stop pointing out that it isn't okay to lump an entire group of people together based on the characteristics of the people in that group.
I was fighting for women's rights and talking about climate change before most of them were born. Yes, I respect their perspective without lumping them all together and they need to do the same for baby boomers.
Last week I wrote a post on Ageing and Osteoporosis and promised I would update you on my bone scan.
The results were not exactly what I had hoped for. I have osteoporosis in both hips where they connect with the thigh bone and also in my wrist.
Before deciding on a course of treatment I am going to have my PCP schedule an appointment for me with an endocrinologist who specializes in osteoporosis.
I will tackle this like I have tackled everything else in my life. Head On.
Oh, and I will not be saying "I'm sorry, it's my fault for getting old".
Some days it is hard to feel like we are in the "older" crowd. Sorry about your scan results. Hope they can come up with a good plan for you to help regenerate the bone and keep the calcium inside the bones. xoxo Kris
ReplyDeleteSorry about the osteoporosis. Be even more careful now as you can't afford a fall. When on earth did this baby boomer bashing start? What did we do to them?
ReplyDeleteBrenda
Sorry to hear about the scan. Please be careful out and about. We all get older, if we are lucky. It is a privilege denied to many.
ReplyDeleteRecently a young man whipped around me and displayed his middle finger so I simply waved. A few miles down the road he'd been pulled over by a police cruiser. I wanted to wave but I simply smiled. A few months ago another young man made some comments about old ladies being in his way. I looked at him and whispered one day you'll be an old man and I hope you remember the old lady who told you it would happen. Rather than display his middle finger he simply told me off. Now I say nothing because it's not worth the angst but I don't understand.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the gray hair thing! I've always dyed my hair, but now and then, let it go back to a brownish gray... I do notice when I do that, people are different. I've never thought of myself as an "old lady", but sometimes I get treated like one, and I feel insulted! A gal I met awhile ago, who also had gray hair (so I thought she was more my age), made a comment when we did a craft fair together, that "you can just say you're my mother".... I was floored! For some reason that really hurt. I felt we were close in age, but when I really looked at her face, I could see she was probably 20 years younger! So someone telling you, when you think you both look the same, that you could be their mother, it hurts. And now the store cashiers keep asking me if I need help out with the bags... and that seems to have started when I let my hair go back to gray. I'm really not vain, but I still feel younger so guess I would like to look the age I feel! Maybe I'll put a little tint of blond here and there! Also, having had Covid, I notice my hair is falling out much more than usual, and I've heard that's a side effect of having Covid. Oh great... now I will be a balding, gray haired old lady! oh.. with ostopenia also. Oh life is fun........Marilyn
ReplyDeleteYou will educate yourself about the osteoporosis, and deal with it, with strength, and knowledge. I've also heard about the Boomers being responsible for all the bad things in the world, but what are these younger generations doing that's any different? Bill Maher just did an excellent "rant" on this - it's worth watching.
ReplyDeleteI am getting old, but I'm not sorry. If I'm going 5 miles over the speed limit and someone starts tailgating me, then I will slow down to the posted speed limit because they didn't appreciate it and now they get nothing. I will not go gentle into that good night. I guess that's my middle finger to the younger generation.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear about the osteoporosis. It stinks, but I think there are a lot of good options out there today. As far as the ageism thing goes, yeah, it's rough out there today. I hear the talk and it's not kind. I think that's the bigger issue lately, what happened to kindness and respecting one another...young, old, whatever...boggles my mind.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about the osteoporosis. Be very careful on your walks and wear 'sensible' shoes. I live in a town with many young people (3 colleges) and I find they're always in a rush and very intolerant of the elderly. Not only in their cars, but they will run you down on the sidewalk with an attitude (me first/me first). What happened to old saying "Age before beauty"?
ReplyDeleteI have almost totally white hair and the dwcades of age to go with it. Boomer bashing...I have amost zero tolerance for it. One of our daughters of our old age attended a contentious school board meeing this year. I am an elected member of the board. I went from Mom to woman of power and influence in those 3 hours. Preety cool! I am sorry to hear about your bone scan results. Hopefully, the follow up visits will be helpful and encouraging.
ReplyDelete