Going with the Flow

A woman I considered my aunt, but who was in fact my father’s cousin, passed away at the age of 105. She did not have a disease per se, she simply left peacefully in her sleep.

            What an ideal way to go!

            I always admired her philosophy. She said that the past should remain in the past and not be rehashed. And the future? It will take care of itself, she’d say. She went with the flow, today’s flow. That’s what was important to her.

           When she was in her 80s, she would run errands for “the old people” who had problems getting around. She needed to help others, to be of service, and always had a bright smile. She was not rich by any means, but she had a recipe for a rich happy life: Don’t worry and go with the flow.

            I would stop by to visit with her from time to time. I remember going to see her one day when she was 90. She wasn’t in her apartment and I was told: It’s Wednesday, she’s gone for a walk. Sure enough she was ambling down the street of the small town where she lived to make the most of every moment. It can be argued that she was graced with good genes, which she no doubt was, but there was more: she made it a point to enjoy life to the fullest.       

            Not always easy to do, is it?

            But she did inspire me to try by stopping to worry about my children and grandchildren because worrying does nothing to help them, by not wasting time and energy on small stuff like being stuck in traffic, like locking myself out of the house, like spilling food on a white blouse in a restaurant, and countless other irritants.

            As the song says: Don’t worry, be happy. In short, go with the flow.

           

New Talent

Recently, I heard a commentator discuss the results of a poll which to him—and to me—indicate a radical change in society. The poll showed that many young people today have no clue how to do some of the basic things older folks have always done, such as preparing a decent meal or sewing.

Traditional skills are being lost to the changing face of society. Why learn to cook when you can order out or quickly heat up frozen meals in the microwave. Not especially good for health, but who cares, it’s quick. Why learn to sew or knit when clothing made in developing nations is cheap and easily available. Of course, today second-hand businesses have become trendy, so sewing is far from necessary.

In just a couple of generations, priorities have shifted. My mother had skills that the world is quickly forgetting. We lived on a large farm, and she canned vegetables from the garden as well as fruit from our trees for our winter meals. She found time to sew clothing and crochet all sorts of items during the long winter months.

Of course, my mother didn’t waste time updating her social network profile! Her entertainment was a little more basic—it was the radio. I remember that it seemed to be on all the time. She kept up with the news and comments of the day, and was entertained by the music as well as when she let her imagination make the most of listening to actors reading radio plays.

When I talked about radio plays recently, my grandchildren were at a loss to understand what it was. “You mean just listening to a play?” Nourishment for your imagination! What a concept!

            Of course, today, podcasts of information and views that can be downloaded are essentially talk radio on demand as technology presses on.

In a world where video is taking so much space, it’s nice to see that listening still has room to prosper.

To Advertise or Not to Advertise

I don’t know about you, but once in a while when I’m looking for something I’m hoping to buy second hand I visit websites where everything, it seems, is offered. I spent some time recently on an especially cold Sunday reading ads, and I must say it opened my eyes as to what people can come up with. Of course, there are always erotic and porno ads and ads from married men looking for “discreet” meetings and all the rest, but here are some of the most unusual ones I found.

One man was asking for help in finding his flying saucer because he needed to get back to his planet for a dental appointment. (Hopefully it’s a planet far, far away!)

Another man was looking for women because he wanted to start a harem. (I thought about applying, but reality soon won out. Think of the competition!)

A woman placed an ad because she was looking for the perfect man. (I silently wished her luck with that!)

Then there was the man who advertised his willingness to impregnate women. (Of course, he’d do it willingly!)

And then there was the meditation group looking for new members. And, oh, it’s a nude group. (My first thought was: Are they really able to keep their eyes closed as they meditate!)

A young man was asking for help in developing an air conditioner for baby strollers. (Wonder what he was smoking!)

Another young man claiming to be normal said he was into feet worship and was looking for women of all ages so he could massage their feet. (How does he feel about hammer toes and bunions I wondered!)

And a couple was looking for people to do house chores naked. (That’s not something I’d be willing to do. I’d probably trip over my boobs!)

And there was an ad from a man who claimed to be in his 90s who was looking for   a “mature” woman (he specified not older than 40) because there was still fire in his belly. (Hopefully that fire will not spread!)

Finally, I saw an ad for a young man offering his services as a math tutor to people of all ages. (I might ask him to help me with this one: If I travel at 60 miles per hour and carry 6 oranges, how old am I?)

DEMOGRAPHIC REALITY

Boomers are changing the demographic landscape at a very fast pace. If designers and advertisers have not faced up to this new reality yet, they will no doubt be forced to do it because boomers are a tsunami which simply cannot be ignored.

In trying to reach the boomer demographic, I often wonder why the advertising industry feels the need to use non-boomers. A man I know who has been in the advertising game all his life is quick to explain: For the most part, people want to be younger than they really are. We simply give them what they expect.

I’m not sure I’m convinced.  They do it because that’s what they think people want.

Boomers should be proud of the wisdom acquired over the years rather than waste time on hoping to look like the models advertisers throw at us. We have to look beyond our imperfections, whether it’s a few wrinkles or a couple of extra pounds, and rejoice in who we are. We also need to talk to our grandchildren so they can accept themselves as they are. It’s vitally important when we know that girls as young as sixteen want plastic surgery and ten-year-olds are starving themselves to be as slim as the models they see.

I say let’s praise imperfection instead of youth for a change and be happy.  Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many.