Don Lively

I NEVER THOUGHT

 

 

It was a friendly chat, just two friends comparing notes on a serious subject. Millions of such conversations probably take place every day all across the fruited plain and within the friendly confines of the Blessed South every day.

“Tylenol PM just doesn’t do it for me anymore,” said one of the friends. “I still wake up at 2am and can’t go back to sleep.” “I understand,” responded the other. “I use Melatonin and that seems to work better for me. But I still don’t sleep through the night.” I was one of the people conversing and later I had to chuckle to myself.

“So this is the stage of life I’m in now, having discussions about the best way to get a good night’s sleep.” I used to laugh out loud when I’d hear Mama and Daddy having such similar discussions with my aunts and uncles about the aging process. I suppose I thought back then that I’d never get to that point.

I can clearly remember when I thought of fifty as being nearly ancient.

These days, not so much.

There was a scene in the classic sitcom, Frasier, where the famed radio psychologist who shares a Seattle high-rise home with his father, is starting to realize that he’s getting older. Frasier has always been amused when his father sits down in his recliner and lets out a tired but satisfied sigh. Then one night Frasier, having been on his feet all day, sinks into his own chair with his own weary groan.

I remember when Daddy did the same thing.

Not even an hour ago, after cleaning, reassembling and putting away the turkey fryer until next Thanksgiving, I sprawled heavily into my Lazy-Boy and was shocked to hear Daddy’s deep sigh.

Shocked because Daddy has been in Heaven for over twenty years.

The sigh, my friends, came from deep within my own being.

I never thought I’d get to that point.

My friend and I had been visiting with my brother and his lovely bride. We had arrived on my Kawasaki Mule before sundown but as we were leaving it had gotten dark.

“Be careful out here,” I advised.

“There’s some uneven ground where we parked.” Seriously?

Did I just say that?

Uneven Ground?

I never thought that I’d have to worry about such things.

I teach Sunday School to adults once a month. A few of the folks in the class are my age or slightly older but many of them are the age of my children. I walked in on one of my Sundays to teach and one of the younger men snorted and laughed when he looked at me, so I asked him what was so funny.

“Do you really need three pair of glasses?” As is my habit, I had my sunglasses propped on top of my head, cause you never know around these parts when the sun might pop out. I was wearing my reading glassed low on my nose. And I had what I call my “long-distance glasses” hanging from my shirt collar. The truth is, I can’t read with the long-distance ones and I can’t see clearly long-distance with my readers.

So, three pair.

“Well, yessir, I actually do,” I responded, to which my young friend snorted again.

“Come see me in twenty years and we’ll see how many pair YOU require.”

It was all in good fun but, I never thought that I would need three pair of glasses to function properly.

My sister, LuLu, made the comment in a conversation with some other ladies, “Don only wears one hearing aid, that’s why he always turns his leftear toward you when you talk to him.” For the record, I wear hearing aids in both ears but the right one doesn’t work worth a flip. Or, more accurately, it’s my right ear that doesn’t hold up its end of the auditory bargain.

I never thought my hearing would be the topic of conversation, and I never thought that I’d need mechanical assistance to actually hear well.

But, you know what else?

I never thought, at my age, that I’d be able to spend all day in the woods, cutting, splitting and hauling firewood, but I am.

I never thought, at my age, I’d still be doing five-thousand mile road trips, but I am.

I never thought, at my age, that I’d still be able to come up with ideas for silly scribblings every week, but I do.

And, now that I have, I shall retreat to my recliner for some much needed relaxation.

Sigh.

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