We pulled up to the security gate of the gated community where my aunt and uncle live.  The older gentleman said hello and asked what we needed, so Doug told him who we were going to visit.  The man looked at him, slightly perturbed and said, “Swingers?  We don’t have any swingers here!”.  To which Doug replied, “not swingers, Swinyard.”.  Once the gentleman understood what we said and realized what he thought he had heard, he laughed so hard he forgot to answer our other question and sent us on our way.  Pretty sure we laughed all the way to my aunt’s house.

There’s a part of me that shares that story and thinks, that’s me in about 15 years.  Doug and I are already doing the “what?” or “huh?” thing to each other now.  At this rate I can’t even imagine the types of conversations we’ll be having in the future! Like the couple eating next to us in a restaurant in Colorado, who had an entire conversation about their big salads.  They shared a bite of each others salad and discussed how much they loved the crispness of the lettuce.  Exciting stuff, huh?

Watching older people using technology is also an interesting past time.  Like the lady I saw in the restaurant typing on her cellphone and punching it with her index finger like she was actually pushing a button.  Sure, I use my index finger too instead of my thumbs, but I don’t punch the thing.  I learned how to type in a typing CLASS and it’s really hard for me to transfer this finger knowledge to my thumbs.  Just saying.  And the truth is, older people are just as addicted to devices as any young person, as witnessed in another restaurant where a gentleman actually brought his i-Pad to dinner and watched videos or something while he wife scrolled through her phone.  They just don’t look as cool doing it as a young person I suppose.  Have you noticed I love to people watch in restaurants?

Now, I need to be careful when I say “older person”, because AARP has been sending me stuff for years – I just refuse to acknowledge them.  I really believe that getting older is inevitable but getting old is a choice, and I refuse to get old.  This is not to be confused with maturing.  I am responsible, relatively punctual (for those of you who know me)  and I work hard, but I don’t have to be “old” while I do it. But I’m beginning to understand that getting older needs to include some sense of humor, because there will be those times when we won’t be able to hear or see as well, and we’ll misinterpret what someone has said.  Maybe we’ll have an intense conversation about something we’re eating because we’ve talked about everything else in the years we’ve been together and we’ve learned to appreciate even the smallest thing in our lives.  And I’ve given up on ever being adept at using technology, but it doesn’t mean I won’t keep trying in my own way to use it.  In the meantime, I’m going to relax, enjoy life and hopefully grow older gracefully.