I'm thinking that come winter, I'm going to plunk my two cranky old cats down on an ice floe in the Casco Bay, give it a push and let them float out to sea like the Eskimos do, except they really don't--in fact, the last reported case of Eskimo senilicide was in 1939. (Oh no, you're thinking, not another post about her cats.)
The cats are both 16 years old. They are in excellent health thanks to my unwavering devotion all these years, and my reward is that I now have to withstand their plaintive wailing due to arthritis, excessive peeing due to kidney problems, and constant begging for snacks out of just plain boredom. They no longer even walk fast--forget the adorable cavorting, gamboling and frolicking. Their lives are all about meowing for food, making a mess in the litter boxes, and crying at the door to either go outside or come back in. Throw in their mutual jealousy over who gets the most laptime and it's no picnic for any of us. But the very worst part is the daily reminder of where I'm heading, as if I need another one in our youth-obsessed culture.
Recently one of my columns was printed in our local paper, sparking a lively online political debate until I mentioned my age, at which point things turned nasty. I then became fodder for jokes about being an "over-the-hill granny" from the days of Herbert Hoover, and what the heck could I know about anything going on now? Once again, society's hatred of and disrespect towards "senior citizens" reared its ugly head, which now seems even uglier because I am one, and I'm not even old yet. I can still walk and feed myself; heck, I still frolic and cavort. How bad is it for those folks who can't?
Very old people, those well beyond the Botox years, do exist in our society. We rarely see them, except of course when they reach 100 and get a cake at the nursing home and maybe, if it's a slow news day, their picture in the paper blowing out the candles. The sad truth is if that if we live well and take really good care of ourselves, we'll surely end up being the butt of jokes and a burden to someone. Seems to me that should change. For starters, perhaps I'll go get some catnip and maybe even a can of real people white Albacore tuna for my darling kitties.
The cats are both 16 years old. They are in excellent health thanks to my unwavering devotion all these years, and my reward is that I now have to withstand their plaintive wailing due to arthritis, excessive peeing due to kidney problems, and constant begging for snacks out of just plain boredom. They no longer even walk fast--forget the adorable cavorting, gamboling and frolicking. Their lives are all about meowing for food, making a mess in the litter boxes, and crying at the door to either go outside or come back in. Throw in their mutual jealousy over who gets the most laptime and it's no picnic for any of us. But the very worst part is the daily reminder of where I'm heading, as if I need another one in our youth-obsessed culture.Recently one of my columns was printed in our local paper, sparking a lively online political debate until I mentioned my age, at which point things turned nasty. I then became fodder for jokes about being an "over-the-hill granny" from the days of Herbert Hoover, and what the heck could I know about anything going on now? Once again, society's hatred of and disrespect towards "senior citizens" reared its ugly head, which now seems even uglier because I am one, and I'm not even old yet. I can still walk and feed myself; heck, I still frolic and cavort. How bad is it for those folks who can't?
Very old people, those well beyond the Botox years, do exist in our society. We rarely see them, except of course when they reach 100 and get a cake at the nursing home and maybe, if it's a slow news day, their picture in the paper blowing out the candles. The sad truth is if that if we live well and take really good care of ourselves, we'll surely end up being the butt of jokes and a burden to someone. Seems to me that should change. For starters, perhaps I'll go get some catnip and maybe even a can of real people white Albacore tuna for my darling kitties.
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