I like shopping early in the morning while others are sleeping. With a few exceptions, I will choose take-out over eat-in dining most of the time. I would rather watch a movie at home, instead of a theater any day of the week and parties are not for me. My favorite time of the day is dawn. A cup of coffee, a beautiful sunrise and a stray bird perched on our fence are my ideal way to begin the day. Can you tell I'm getting old?
I haven't always felt this way. In fact, I was once a bit of a party girl. Staying in on a weekend night was unheard of and dawn was bedtime instead of getting up time. I once danced the night away or spent hours playing cards with friends, listening to music and laughing. These days, the only dancing I do is when I walk through the house and hear a catchy commercial jingle that sends me into a dancing frenzy leaving me breathless and looking for the nearest place to sit down or lie down or pass out.
The point is I've changed and in more ways than those I mentioned. I have developed a deep appreciation for people and things, that I rarely gave more than a passing thought to in my younger days. I feel genuine pain for those who suffer, probably too much. I've always loved my momma, but I don't think I really appreciated her or realized how important she is to me, until she started aging and began needing my help. I never realized how fortunate I was to be an American and to be a kid here during the sixties and seventies. I wish I could rewind, climb a tree, sit and feel the way I do now about what was happening then. Does that make sense?
If I've changed, maybe others transitioning into old age (my son's description of my age group) have as well. I hope others in my age group share my love for fond memories of the sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties. I hope they are evolving into better people, as I know I am. I really want us all to enjoy life as it is now with facebook, twitter, cellphones with cameras to capture every moment, but most importantly, a new sense of gratitude for those around us and all the wonders life holds for us in the coming years. I plan to have a blast, just not in large crowds or late at night.
