Life is a Trip—Especially After 50!
I don’t know about you, but I have my days when peering into the mirror to apply my makeup is an exercise in emotional fortitude. And, yes, I own one of those necessary evils: a magnifying mirror. It helps me see where the mascara actually goes rather than aiming at fuzzy shadows I believe to be my eyelashes. But, boy, some days that old mirror reflects some unsettling TMI—horrors I’d just as soon never have noticed.
That said, I was just given one of those precious examples in life whereby my entire outlook on the physical signs of aging was transformed. We all know the saying: “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Well, it’s true beyond anything I might have imagined.
I was out to lunch with my 85-year-old friend when she shared a story I just have to pass along. A world traveler who’s interested in various cultures, she’d stopped by a Chinese grocery store to pick up a few things for dinner. While there, she decided to buy a six-pack of Chinese beer she’d remembered from one of her trips to Asia.
At the checkout stand, my friend realized the clerk was probably new to this country and was trying her hardest to do everything exactly right. In fact, as she rang up the beer, the checker stopped and asked the octogenarian for her ID.
“What?! You’ve got to be kidding!” said my friend with obvious surprise.
“No, I need to see your ID,” came the response from the earnest rule-follower.
So, my 85-year old friend pulled out her driver’s license and dutifully handed it over to the clerk. The checker looked at the birth date (1925) and without missing a beat said, “You look good!”
I swear this is the truth and it thrills me beyond measure! In only a couple decades’ time, I might just get carded! Imagine that!
Posts
Loading ...
July 19th, 2010 at 4:54 am
What a fun story! It’s always nice, when we get our senior citizen discounts, to get that look of wonderment and admiration from the clerk.
Mary
http://woofersclub.com
http://cynthiasattic.blogspot.com
July 5th, 2010 at 5:38 am
In my college days, I was a waitress. I ALWAYS carded the “blue haired” women. They loved it…I made them laugh and got big tips. Giggles
June 20th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
Great!
June 17th, 2010 at 6:54 pm
Lovely story, and I am sure that comment went down well with those beers! lol
Thanks for sharing Eileen ?
June 12th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
Hilarious!!!!
June 11th, 2010 at 6:45 am
Wonderful story — just another example of how living life to the fullest like your friend makes us younger inside and out!
June 8th, 2010 at 4:16 pm
Ahh… that’s so sweet. I’m pleased that your 85 year old friend still has a lust for life – drinking beer! I’d love to know her!
I was carded about 7 years ago, but must say the checker didn’t really look up at me. So, it was funny, but not really flattering. Especially when I saw the look on his face when I handed him my drivers license and the “oops I should have known you were old” look came across his face. Too funny!
June 5th, 2010 at 7:25 pm
For me to get carded would be like walking past a contstruction site and getting those sounds I used to get when much in my other prime. Ha, something to work toward?
June 5th, 2010 at 9:46 am
Nate and I just went through the “carded experience” yesterday at lunch. We both decided to try some locally brewed beers and the waiter asked for our I.D.’s. My immediate response was, “Are you serious? I’m old enough to be your mother!” He was polite but insisted that I show my age verification. I wasn’t flattered but maybe if he had told me I looked good for my age, I might’ve been