Living to tell the tale...

 
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Today’s challenge: think of something unique about your life; something you have done that no one would ever guess.

My mother celebrated her 89th birthday last month. As is the custom in her senior living complex, she hosted a luncheon in the guest dining room for her closest friends who live there. As so often happens with my very social mother, the luncheon quickly escalated to a party. And a “few close friends” turned into a guest list of 14 people. I wonder, how in the heck does this woman still have so many, and, let’s be honest here, so many surviving, friends at age 89! But I digress.

Mom asked me to help her plan the “luncheon”, also known as a party. She wanted us to play a game. I was talking to my friend Angela about this, and, just like that, an idea popped into my head (thanks, Angela). I’m sure I didn’t make this game up, but it was a good one. 

As each woman rolled or walked or was pushed (via wheelchair!) into the dining room, I handed them a slip of paper and a pen with the instructions, “Write down something unique about you. Something you have done or has happened to you in your lifetime.” At first, I was met with protests of “Who me? I have nothing remarkable to share”. But soon the pens were moving. 

I gathered the papers into a fishbowl, then I read them aloud, one by one. The ladies had to guess to whom the feat belonged.  

The answers were amazing, unbelievable, and often, hilarious. 

Some samples: 

Jean: “Our family had 6 Golden Retrievers over the years.” Let’s do the math. Let’s say the dogs lived to be 12 years old. Could they have really have had Golden Retrievers for 72 years? Amazing. 

Marion: “My family and I went over Niagara Falls in a barrel.” Which brings up all sorts of questions. Were you all together in one barrel? Did everyone survive? But chiefly, really? To which Marion replied, “Well, at least we have a picture of ourselves in a barrel at Niagara Falls.” OK, we’ll leave it at that. 

Donna: “I have been dyeing my hair blonde for 70 years.” To which we all ask, “Donna, when did you start turning gray?” Because of course that would mean she started coloring it when she was 12 years old. “OK,” she responds, “Maybe 65 years.” OK… (By the way, Donna’s was very easy to guess, being that she was the only one in the room, including myself, whose hair was not gray.) 

Joan: “I was the only student in a one-room-schoolhouse.” Which begs the question, why did they even have a schoolhouse? Why didn’t they just have her go to the teacher’s house and sit down at the kitchen table? 

The last one, my favorite, came from Mary Jo: “I did aqua-ballet throughout my college years.” Say what? It boggles the mind, and, believe me, really boggles the imagination.

So, dear readers, I have two take-aways from this exercise, and they are as much for me as they are for you. 

First, remember when you see an old person, that he or she had a life. They were not always hobbling along with a walker or forgetting where they supposed to be at 3:00. They led full lives before they turned gray. Ask them. In fact, it might be a great game to play for your next holiday celebration. And when they tell you they went over Niagara Falls in a barrel, be sure to ask them about it, and really really listen. 

Second, it’s time for us to get busy. I mean, when somebody asks you what was unique and amazing about your life, will you have an answer? I really struggled coming up with what to write on my slip of paper. I fear it was not nearly as interesting as water ballet.   

It may just be a matter of paying attention to the life I am living right now.

If I am fortunate enough to live to my mom’s age, it means I have 27 more years to start doing something amazing. Or, perhaps I just need to take the time to notice my amazing and unique life right now.