Looking At 80 Through A Different Lens.

Age shouldn't be discounted or dismissed.

We all do it. Oh yes, we think that the elderly are for want of a better word, " old ". They might move a bit slower, they might walk with a hippy gait and they definitely speak with a lot more sense than the young ones.

The other day, I went to visit a lovely lady who had recently turned 80. Oh, she is still full of life and manages a big home by herself. Turning 80 is a big deal and her kids and grandkids did a lovely montage of her life on the birthday party invite. ( Oh yes, there was a big party for her ). Those birthday invites normally have a few pictures of the birthday kid at various stages of their life.

Looking at this particular card made me see her in a different light. Those few well chosen photos reminded me that she was also a young gal once. She was also a young mother once. She was also trendy once. A picture is worth more than a thousand words after all. In my minds eye I see her as this young and trendy mother.

Last year one of my uncles turned 80 as well and my cousins only put one picture on the invite. Oh, and what a picture it was. He looked like a James Dean sort of guy. He had the pose down to a tee and had the smoldering looks to boot. Although, his pants kind of looked like pyjamas. Never mind, the rest was cool and this picture is imprinted on my mind!

Age has its advantages. Such as being offered a chair, the door being held open for you and being served first at meal times. But apart from that we should all pin a birthday card of sorts on our T-shirts. Show those younger than us that we were once trendy ( or angry ) teenagers, newly weds or just young people.

No, we don't need to be 80 or more to wear this badge. We could start at 40. Or at what age do the younger ones start to treat us as if we:

• know nothing,
• have never been to a club / disco / dance,
• and are a tad bit embarrassing to hang out with?

It might also be rather amusing and certainly interesting. Going to family occasions might be fun not only for us, but also for the badge wearer...How many of us have forgotten that we were once young & perhaps with-it...?

What would you put on your badge?

Biggi