When did it happen

I’m very early. The tables and chairs are nearly empty. I locate an empty one, one that gives me a people watching view of the later arrivers. I stake my claim and reserve the remaining chairs for friends who will arrive shortly. Why am I here so early? I’ll tell you why, Marge and I are infected with a very serious disease. It’s called acute volunteer-ism, can never say no. Today she’s at another table selling tickets for a raffle held at the Local AARP Chapter monthly meeting. Oh yah, that’s where we are. She handles the ticket table while I sit at the empty table and act as a “Sentinel” observing the parade of seniors marching in. Why am I even here? I’m too young to be here, these people are so damn old.

As I pondered this situation I finally realized that no one is telling me: “Young fellow you must be at the wrong meeting, you’re certainly too young to be here”. I guess these people have accepted me as one of their own. I must actually belong here. When did this happen to me? How did it come so quick? Was I fooling myself at all those class reunions when I said to myself, my God, how old they all look? It pains me to say that I appear to have been wrong; I was really one of them all along. The pain occasionally goes away when someone says: “You can’t possibly be 76, you look great for your age”. Where are those people when you need them?

You know life is full of strange coincidences. As I was writing this little piece I happened to check my emails and found one from a very “old” friend. He sent me a poem that just begs to be included in this Blog.

The Mirror - Edmund Burke, 1729 - 1797, Irish Philosopher.

I look in the mirror
And what do I see?
A strange looking person
That cannot be me.

For I am much younger
And not nearly so fat
As that face in the mirror
I am looking at.

Oh, where are the mirrors
That I used to know
Like the ones which were
Made thirty years ago?

Now all things have changed
And I`m sure you`ll agree
Mirrors are not as good
As they used to be.

So never be concerned,
If wrinkles appear
For one thing I`ve learned
Which is very clear,

Should your complexion
Be less than perfection,
It is really the mirror
That needs correction!!