not me, but someone in my age range with a similar level of enthusiasm

 

—

on my maiden voyage

into the world of

the senior grocery shopping hour

60 and up’s

i was

looking raggedy

with the

pallor of someone

who’s done hard time served in quarantine

 i was met at the door 

by a customer helper

who wiped down cart handles

as we each took one

in an orderly way

i was happily headed in

when a worker at the self-checkout

shot me a disdainful dirty look

i chalked it up to her being forced to be here under duress

 i shopped

carefully

moving among the others

mindful of age

and

people with less obvious challenges

trying to be happy and friendly

 as i was getting ready to leave

a fellow shopper approached me

saying,

“they really should check i.d. and you know what i mean!!”

it finally hit me 

that both negative reactions 

came in response to them doubting if i was really a senior

 i had to laugh and take it as a compliment

 thought back to my younger days

when i falsely tried to convince people i was ‘of age’

by using my oldest sister’s license as fake i.d.

funny how things change and stay the same. 

 

—

“none are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.”

-henry david thoreau

 

 

 

—

image credit: animal planet