You Make Me Feel So Young!
Ha Ha Helen, reporting in ;o)
I’ve been a bit bummed, don’t know if it’s menopause or what, any-who… ;o) having ‘aging’ bother me … I know – I’m only 50.
So, I was practicing learning the words to songs I’ll be singing at a Senior Center… namely – ‘You Make Me Feel So Young’ – I have a backing track with the words, and one with just the music – so I can practice singing while I drive. It’s such a great, upbeat song!
I was driving to my favorite ‘Thai’ restaurant for lunch. I got to sit at a booth in front of some Golden Seniors! What a blessing! I would have put these folks at about their early 70s…. (silly me!) Wait till you hear!
I got a lot of smiles, and sparkles in my eyes as I sat and ‘listened in’ on their wonderful stories! At one point, a customer was walking back to her booth from the Buffet, and she caught me with this HUGE SMILE on my face (from listening and enjoying the stories) – so she SMILED back at me – not realizing it was from my enjoyment of the diners behind me!
The one woman (Lillie – I found out her name, later), shared that her doctor told her she was going to live to be 120!! Her husband (Jim) told their friend Betty, that Lillie had survived cancer and many other ‘challenges’ and was now healthier than ever!
I sat there in amazement! I bet we’ll see Lillie’s photo on ABC when Willard Scott (weatherman) shows her as the oldest living person – years from now!
So Lillie went on to tell wonderful stories of getting FREE meals at a Chinese Buffet restaurant due to – TWICE – having a server spill food on her beautiful suit outfit! As she talked – their stories would be interrupted for a minute or so, as all three ‘Tried to Remember’ the name of ‘this or that’ place or restaurant…
the story would get stalled, until they’d go through… a guess, then – Oh, No, that’s not it…. it was quite endearing to hear the wonderful conversation between the husband, wife and their friend Betty. You get the idea!
So, once again, I got to SNAP OUT OF my FUNK and raelize it’s not all that bad getting older – because you get to have REALLY FUN conversations with your friends! ;o)
When I was leaving, Jim (in his toupe’) stopped near the register and told a woman waiting for take out; that he thought he knew her from a HEALTH fair at our local Farm Show Building, in Harrisburg, PA.
So, I JUMPED in on the conversation and whipped one of my: ‘LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN! Book marks out – asking Jim…. “Did you say you go to health and wellness events?!”
He GLADLY took my bookmark/business card, saw my LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN! Bumper Display out on the Thai Palace Business card board, just inside the foyer to the restaurant… and said: OH! THAT’S YOU? I’M GOING TO TAKE ONE OF YOUR BUMPER DISPLAYS AND PUT IT ON OUR CAR!’ I was just thrilled to meet this wonderful couple.
He then said, putting out his hand to shake mine:
‘My name is Jim, and this is my wife, Lillie!’ He said, I’ll bet you can’t guess how old she is? Well, I thought 70s…. he said: 96!!!
He asked me what I did. I explained Laughter Yoga and got him to do the Aloha Laugh with me. He and Lillie both laughed along with me!
Lillie was gorgeous, coiffed hair, a beautiful read suit with scarf, makeup – amazing! He said they both did Ball Room dancing.
I gave Lillie a Book Mark with a fun saying on it, also.
She told us she had been in a car accident and was learning to walk again. I said: Well! Since you’re doctor said you’re going to live to be 120yrs old – you have PLENTY of time to perfect it!
Jim was leading her out of the restaurant and took one of my magnetic bumper displays and placed it smack dab in the middle – on the back of their high end vehicle! I smiled and thanked him! He said: ‘There you go! I’ll advertise for you!’
Lillie was seeming a bit bummed about her accident. She showed me her car license plate was a bit bumpy – she said: “They had to drive over it to straighten it out!’ She had said their other car had been smashed like an accordian.
I told Lillie about my sister Dolly that had been hit by a drunk driver at age 19, had brain damage – then I said: ‘Lillie, look at the bright side, you are both alive, you aren’t in a wheel chair, you still have eachother, and your license plate now has CHARACTER!’ She agreed with me as Jim opened her car door and led her into their beautiful, new vehicle.
As I drove away – they both waved. So, I guess I can let go of being bummed about aging, and keep in mind Lillie and Jim – the ballroom dancing, smart dressing, positive outlook souls in their 90s – who don’t look a day over 70!
Live Life! Laugh Often! Lillie and Jim!
Ha Ha Helen of Lafolot
pondering life… in its golden years
www.lafolot.com
Tags: Ha Ha Helen, lafolot, Laughter, mentors, Wellness, Women
