What happens to your way of life when you start to get old?
I’m not talking about the brand new crop of health issues, or about Medicare and social security. I am talking about how do you come to suddenly have those seemingly new old person mannerisms?
Like, how do you know to become impossibly stubborn? How do you start to resent the “young people”? How do you start putting the word “the” in front of nouns when it is unnecessary? (An example statement per one of my aunties, “Want to go to the Red Lobster?” Me: Yes, Aunt Trudy just let me know when.
Being the only child and long time baby of the family, it’s been impossible for me to escape old person mannerisms. As I watched everyone around me just get old I had no choice but to embrace a few nuances my older family members had. I thought I would share some of my favorite old person mannerisms that I would hope to never embrace:
1. The ever incessant “Girl, if I was 40 years younger…”
This statement is always followed by a “mmm hmm” or another variation of a random grunt.
What makes older people, men in particular, think it’s okay to say this shit to your face? I don’t understand.
I can’t wait to get old and say completely out of line stuff like this out loud.
2. Tams/Newsboy Hats
“You know what’ll look good when I turn 50? A tam.”
Old men love these hats and I have no idea where the urge to wear them actually comes from. Is in instinctual?
3. This wig
Every older woman in the black community at a certain age will eventually cave in to this wig style. My grandmom has these by the pound.
This is another instinctual thing that I hope to never understand.
It’s not even flattering.
My last and final old person nuance I hope to never understand is…
4. High pants and a pooch
If I ever wear my pants this high EVERYDAY please sit down and get into my mental. Ask me if I’m ok. Tell me to stop. Do anything to get me back into pants of an appropriate height.
Also tell me just to wear longer shirts when I get fat. No need to pull the pants up that high to cover the gut.
Reblogged this on Thomas Lopinski – Author and commented:
I’m kind of looking forward to wearing an adult diaper. Who wants to go to the restroom every fifteen minutes.
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lmao hilarious. I’m so happy to know I’m not imagining things when I pass older people. The wig and the hat – good Lord this is the trademark, isn’t it?! Oh! and most definitely the “the” intro you spoke on. I just loved reading this because it was so true. The one I notice the most is the Hawaiian shirt trend:
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Lol that’s one I haven’t seen
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Good for you! I hope I didn’t jinx it lol
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Too much colonge. You’re officially an old man when they can smell ya coming.
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That’s my pop all day. He goes in the bathroom to put it on and runs out the house because he know damn well if I catch him od’ing I’m going to judge him.
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My pop too. That’s why I know better! I got a two squirt rule in place so I’ll never be that loud smelling old man lol
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