Last week, I spent thirty minutes in the waiting room of radiology. To pass the time, I did one of my favorite activities—I people watched.
Humans are diverse beings; we not only look different from one another, but also live and act in individual ways. As I looked around the room, this could not be clearer.
On a chair in the corner sat a well-groomed woman in her forties. Her nose in a book, she never once looked up. When the technician called her name, she closed her book, gathered her belongings, and followed the man in silence.
A longhaired young man in shorts, t-shirt, and flip-flops sprawled out on two chairs in the center of the room. He held a cell phone in his hand and busily typed. Every so often, he mumbled unintelligible words, looked up at me, and continued his texts. I watched him for a minute or so until boredom set in.
A mother placed her little girl in the chair behind me. The child fidgeted in her seat, which caused her chair to bump against mine a number of times. For at least five minutes straight, she asked her mommy one question after another. The mom, bless her heart, patiently answered the child with a vocabulary every four-year-old understands.
An attractive woman in her eighties sat directly across from me. She and I linked eyes a couple of times and we both followed up with heartfelt smiles. A hello almost slipped from my mouth, but I stopped myself when a white-haired man walked up with a cane. He plopped himself next to the woman. Her face lit up in JOY, and I assumed they were together.
“Hello, ladies. You two look lovely today.” He winked at me from across the aisle then turned his face toward the other woman. “Have you been waiting long?” For the next few minutes, the two carried on a conversation about the weather, their grown children, and why their doctors sent them to radiology. Then he shocked me when he asked her, “How old are you?”
The woman grinned, batted her lashes, and said in a JOYful voice, “A lady never tells her age.” The man threw his head back in laughter.
About that time, the technician picked up a folder from the desk and said, “Jack?”
The man stood. “That’s me.” He tapped his neighbor’s foot with the cane and said with a wink, “See you in the funny papers.” She gave him a flirty grin and he walked away.
~~
These two people, old enough to be my parents, warmed my heart. A realm of emotions jolted through me as I eavesdropped on their conversation. Their words and actions captivated me. As I watched them toy with one another, I held in a chuckle. Their actions were sweet and their conversation delightful.
They gave one another a little JOY in an otherwise boring stretch of time. As worn as their bodies were becoming, their minds were sharp and they knew how to have fun.
I wondered about their lives. Had either of them lost their spouse? Did they live alone or with their children? Would this charming couple ever see each other again? Of course, these and other questions would go unanswered.
Nevertheless, there is one idea I pondered. When I reach their state of maturity, I hope I am like these two happy-go-lucky, alert people. I will try to keep from acting like an old stick-in-the-mud. I want to make others laugh. I hope people feel comfortable around me. I want to flirt my way through life. I desire to live to the fullest all the way up to the end.
How about you? Would you join in on the fun like the elderly woman? Would you boldly tap a stranger’s foot with your cane, as if you were an old friend? On the other hand, do you see yourself rigid in the chair, a scowl on your face, and a grumble on your lips?
When it’s time to choose how we act in our elderly years, I hope each of us will remember the story of these fun-loving strangers. They made the best of a situation and enJOYed life to the fullest during their few minutes together. After my observations, I hope I respond with JOY and delight when I reach my golden years.
May your elderly years be full of life and child-like JOY.