by Ernie McCray
Made it.
85 earthly rides
around the sun.
And most of it
has been a ton
of fun
but this aging
has been no
stroll through the park, Jack,
or anything close to that,
as parts of me, like my back,
up and quit on me a while back,
and I can full-out understand that
with all I’ve asked of my back,
all that balling on fields
and courts
and whatnot
and running on tracks
and stuff like that,
now paying for it,
using a cane
to stand up straight
when I get around,
hearing myself,
like my grandfather used to do,
making grunting sounds
every time I rise
or sit down,
feeling at ease
only when I’m seated
or lying down,
in possession of meds
which combined
must weigh hundreds of pounds,
pills with names like hydrochlorothiazide
and metoprolol,
and prescriptions to manage my glaucoma
and cholesterol,
dealing with occasional tendinitis,
and recent hints of bursitis
arthritis,
and gastritis,
buying ointments
for dermatitis
and dryness,
unable to give a proper bow
if I were to meet somebody
with a title like
“Her Highness.”
But, hey,
I can say,
without a single
trace of shyness,
it’s good
to still be alive,
to have made it
to 85.
Still able,
in spite of the drawbacks,
to boogie down
and jive
with a little salsa
on the side.
In an old man’s style.
Very funny Ernie. Happy Birthday. I wish you well in the next year.
Always positive and creative. Right on, Ernie. Happy birthday.
A.G.E syndrome gets us all. Keep up the good work.
VIVA Hermano!
VIVA!
You are lucky, Ernie, and I’m glad to hear that you are doing well.
Unfortunately it’s not so good for an enormous number of us older supposed ‘retirees’ because, well, you know. We live in a kleptocracy that wealth only trickles up not down. Another Reagan lie.
Here’s an article on that:
https://popularresistance.org/older-workers-are-increasingly-trapped-in-crummy-jobs-unable-to-retire/
___
I’ll be 69 this year and I’m still worrying about having enough to pay the monthly bills. Still working, not a lot but I have friends near my age working shifts at flipping Walmart because they have to just like what is mentioned in the article… At least I don’t pay rent, paid off the mortgage near two decades ago when my shop still had a decent income, and drive 25 yr old vehicles so no car payments. And I do live in a beautiful mountain forest so that makes up for not having the money for vacations since it is amazingly quiet most of the time and the very dark sky at night is full of stars. Advantages of not living in or near a city!!
Best to you, Ernie, for still having the sense of enjoyment in you.
sealintheSelkirks