So Much for the Rocking Chair

Forget the pictures. You know the ones where Mom and Dad have become Grandma and Grandpa and all they do is sit on the front porch, slap at flies and hum pleasantly to themselves. They don't have a care in the world. The mortgage is paid off. The grandchildren come by and wave and pull out their mowers and trimmers and do the yard work. Law enforcement talks nice to you because you have served your country, obeyed the law and paid your taxes. The phone rings and it is one of children telling you how the latest baby said their first word and you both smile and brag like it was the first time it ever happened.

Those pictures are but a moment of peace the old couple carved out of a life filled with high bills, leaking pipes (in the house) and telemarketers calling with every scam they can scrape out of the gutter. The doctor finally knows you by name and treats you with the latest medicines and soothing words. Other people are half way to the store while you hesitate at the door, do I have to go (to the bathroom) or did I forget to remember something and what was it in he second place.

The walls are covered with baby pictures of children who have children of their own and you just don't feel like driving more nails in the wall. Frames are twice what they were anyway.

You realize that giving good advice is about as useful as talking to a dead stump.

It takes so long to get around the car to open your wife's door that you both forgot if you were getting in or getting out.

If everyone is so worried about how they are going to take care of the baby boomers, you'd think they would study on how to take care of themselves, then we might have more time to take care of our own selves, if there was any money left.

Not complaining, just talking to myself, old people do that you know...hello, you still there?