I know a lot o’ women, especially the ones in duh 50s, have heard this saying many times. I also know dat some have embraced it and some, especially the ones in duh 60s and slightly beyond, up tuh now, doan even want tuh think ’bout the growing old part, far less the gracefully.
Some o’ we women does seriously accept the fact dat we growing old, so we does act old, look old and just get old. Another set o’ we, though, does hold um by the horns and wrestle it tuh the ground because we ain’t want tuh hear nutten ’bout nuh growing old. But lemmuh tell ya something, howevah ya look at it and wha’evah ya do, duh got some things dat does happen tuh ya once you get past dem 50s dat does remind you dat ya getting old.
I ain’t talking ’bout the li’l gray hairs dat does come up here and there, ya know. Dem does come sometimes in ya very 20s once a li’l stress hit ya. I talking ’bout the aches and pains dat ya nevah had before: I talking ’bout the menopause, the li’l extra weight dat nuh matter how ya cut out this and cut back pon dat and do a li’l exercise, ya cahn seem tuh get it rid of it at all; especially the piece dat does jump on pon ya waist and refuse tuh move.
But be honest, though. Have you evah butt up pon somebody who you recognize and know real real good; stan’ up there, laugh and talk wid the body from one thing tuh the next but nuh matter how hard you try, you cahn get duh name called at all even though the things you and dem talking ’bout you was a part of?
Another thing, have you evah set out tuh be going through a particular road but fly past the road and gone long only tuh catch you self a good few yards down the road and have tuh turn back?
Have you evah found yourself searching frantically fuh your glasses only fuh somebody, most o’ the time a li’l person, tuh laugh at you and tell you dat you got dem on? Or have you evah gone in tuh the supermarket fuh a particular item dat you really need, walk up and down the people aisles, pick up all sorts o’ things dat ya ain’t went in there for, get tuh the cashier, pay fuh the items and gone long ’bout you business, only tuh realize when you get back home or wherevah you going, dat you ain’t got the very thing you went for?
I know some o’ wunna women out there, especially my three girlfriends who does read this column must be laughing all like now so and saying dat Mavis getting down, she getting old, she peeping in Alzheimer’s door but lemmuh tell nuh something: wunna too! Ya see, ya’all might not want tuh admit it, but it does happen tuh all o’ we at some time or the other. This thing we call old age could really embarrass ya, hear? But there’s a way tuh lick it. Ya cahn take it seriously; ya got tuh learn tuh laugh at ya’ self.
Talk wha’ wunna like, doan mind wha’ nuhbody tell you, ’cause you see this thing called old age? According tuh my sister, it sucks! Duh ain’t nuh smooth ride in tuh old age; it does take a lot of adjusting and getting accustom tuh and ya does have tuh spend ya time wid people who have the same kinda attitude ’bout life as you.
I ain’t gine tell ya dat I want tuh be nuh young yam and playing I putting on some o’ dem foolish looking things the young girls does wear and some older women does want tuh wear because um in fashion. I doan have tuh do dat foolishness ’cause doing dat does really show up ya old age then. But I intend tuh eat good, sleep good, dress good and treat myself good and if all o’ dat add up tuh gracefully, I happy.
• Mavis Beckles was born and raised in The Orleans. She has an opinion on everything.
