... and I'm loving it!! Sorry to all you weekday workers who live for the weekends!! Grandson is at his Papa's house, DIL is sleeping until she has to go to work, my Sons are occupied with activities befitting of the nerds they are (one playing computer games, the other blasting Star Wars from his tv set).
Me, I woke up in what we call a Maxine mood. Grumpy, sarcastic and pretty much just leave me alone!! I've been like this all day now.
I've been uploading Maxine cartoons for a while now, hehe, go check 'em out. I love Maxine!!
And why am I in a Maxine mood? Got me! I had a weird dream last night about grumpy old men and women, one that got me thinking when I woke up this morning ...
Grumpy Old Men and Women ... yup, I seem to be getting grumpier as I get older. Could just be my circumstances, but grumpy pretty much sums me up any more. But it got me to thinking that while some people really do deserve all the grumpiness I throw their way, yet I really need to be more tolerant of the Grumpy Old Men and Women I run across, especially in the grocery store that I try so hard to avoid during daylight hours. They probably have good reason for being grumpy ... circumstances that made them grumpy, or just don't feel they want to be bothered with strangers (read this as trust ... a good policy, I fear, in this day and age), or they just don't have anyone to talk to at all.
Did I ever relay the story of the grumpy little ol' lady using the store's electric wheelchair with the shopping basket? I had intended to run into the store for only a few items. I first ran into Little Ol' Lady (who I'd estimate to be in at least her 90s) three aisles into the store. She had asked some young man (20ish) to help her get something off the top shelf. He was sooo rude, the damned punk. Told her that he wasn't her blankety-blank care-giver and she should just get off her old lazy arse and get it herself. OMG!! I was floored!! I ended up not only getting the item down for her, but offered my assistance with the rest of her somewhat lengthy shopping list. So much for a two minute grocery store trip! But I felt so bad for her, not because of her age, or infirmities, but for the way that jackass came off on her. We had the chance to talk, too. Nice lady, but she sure played the grump thing up she admitted to me. She wouldn't really give any examples, but did offer that one day, My Creator Willing, I would understand and embrace my grumpiness.
She even offered to buy my ten dollars worth of purchases ... which I refused!! I helped her to the Elderly Services shuttle bus, unloaded her groceries, and wished my new friend a good day. I really did walk a little taller the rest of the day. What a special encounter that was!!
And I'm definitely gonna wear my Grumpy Old Lady (okay, not so old yet) badge with pride. I earned it dammit.
Maybe it'll help me with the whole Wrecking Crew thing ... either to gain control once again or chase 'em away once and for all. Hehehe ... but I just gotta be careful to keep my grumpiness at home ... it sure wouldn't be productive in a work environment.
I understand completely. I'm much more tolerant of the grumpy older folks because I'm beginning to "get" what makes them grumpy as I watch my father. He is frustrated at not being able to do the things he could do before.....that it takes him all day to do his laundry (he doesn't do stairs well) and that he can't navigate a store that doesn't allow him a car to lean on and that he's at the mercy of drivers to wait while he slowly crosses the street - he only has one speed and it's quite slow.
ReplyDeleteAnd as I wake up with the occasional ache and pain...or as I obsess on my knee that is acting up again....I worry that it won't be too long before I will find myself unable to do some of the things I take for granted......and I doubt I'll be particularly graceful about it.
So I'm really trying to appreciate and do as much as I can while I can before it becomes a struggle.....
I hear ya there! My Dad is a sixteen year stroke patient, and my Mom's recent diagnosis with lupus has me definitely understanding the whole grumpy thing so much more. Dad doesn't get out much for the same reasons your father doesn't ... and I hope those intolerant fools one day realize that'll be them some day and to give our folks the time they need now.
ReplyDeleteI'm already finding the list of what I can no longer do is growing, a little too quickly for my liking, but what can we do but concentrate on those things we can still do.
I guess any day we wake up, in pain or not, is a good day ...
I really don't want to be a 'grumpy old woman' but find myself getting closer towards it all the time!
ReplyDeleteHelen Jo, it's not that bad, really! I've been a grump in training most of my life (according to my sons anyway) ...
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