‘”While we still can” and other Dude-isms’
Gee, last week I wrote about “Doubleknit Dad.” And this week it’s “Doomsday Dude.” What’s next? “Downer Debbie?” (I actually have a lot of material for that one.)
Anyway. Alliteration aside, I see nothing wrong about writing about the two most important men in my life — though I suppose I could have spaced them out a bit. But Tuesday’s getting long in the tooth and I don’t really want to write about Wordle, so here goes.
The Dude, as lovely as he is — and he truly is a lovely man — has, you see, a rather negative view of Life. You know the saying about seeing the glass half full or half empty? Well, for his Dudeness, the glass is broken. And he’s clutching the shards in an underground bunker filled with gold bars.
Proof that the world isn’t all that horrible: this plant bloomed recently for the first time in 30 years
See, for Mr. Dude, we’re well on our way to The End of The World. But, before that, the population will explode and there will be crazy shortages of resources that will spark class warfare. When you point out that he’s being a bit grim, he begs to differ. “I’m just realistic,” he’ll say. Why, he probably thinks Station Eleven is a reality show.
Of course, he’s not always negative. He teamed up with me to bring a baby into this soon-to-be-ending world
On a more, say, granular level, he insists that we do things “while we still can.” This gives us a rationale for doing things like going on rigorous birding trips to remote places, sometimes with dicey accommodations and/or no hot water.
And often with dangerous and/or scary stuff that must be joined in on or you’ll look like a total loser. (Yes, I did this; I’m the one toward the back looking up, not down
There will come a time — not too far into the future because, after all, “we’re not getting any younger” — when we will no longer be able to do these things. So we need to do them now. “While we still can.”
The scariest thing that happened on one of these trips: almost not making it home when the airports locked down
I don’t mind, not really. His attitude provides a nice balance for my possibly too perky POV. And we get to go on a lot of cool adventures.
Another example: Hiking down into the Grand Canyon on Christmas Day. Which you can read about in “Taking Motherhood to a Whole New Level”
My Dad was kind of negative too. (“Kind of”?!? I can hear my sibs saying.) Once he reached a Certain Age, he used to rather grumpily intone, usually while trying to hoist himself out of a chair, “Don’t get old.” And we’d shoot back something snippy like, “Oh? What’s the alternative?” Good thing we were too big — and too quick — to get smacked.
My Dad — before he “got old”
Of course, now that we are seventyish, we kind of do need to rack up those experiences “while we still can.”
Hey, my passport is still good — even if my stamina isn’t what it used to be.
Dude Man and I celebrating a 75th birthday — somebody else’s, which is why we look so happy
New York City. January 2022
You do look happy in your blue glasses. Moneypenny to your own tuxed James Bond.
When life hands you poor vision, wear cool glasses! I do have quite an assortment: blue, red, black, tortoiseshell. They also hide the bags under my eyes (!) I will pass along the James Bond compliment to Dude Man. He’ll love it!
As someone who tends to hear life in the minor key I am totally with the Dude on this one! Never mind the glass-half empty thing – Mr.C. says I am a “Glass, what glass?” kind of person!
Gosh Denny! I must admit I’m rather surprised. Someone with your textilian (is that a word?) abilities being “negative?” Oh. “Textilian:” new word I coined meaning “proficiency in textiles, as in knitting, sewing, etc.” But hey, I adore Dude Man, and HE is a negative type. So I will continue to adore you (!)
Fun post, Alice! (Or maybe glass half fun, ha!) A lady friend of mine (she was in her late 70s early 80s and she would take me, a 20-something college student to brunch or the symphony or her private club for dinner, on occasion) used to say: don’t get old and don’t get married. She’d done both, but I definitely see her point sometimes!
Hey Becca! I would totally take you to brunch or my ladies’ club for dinner — but the opera instead of the symphony. It’s really important (as you already know) to have older friends. For one thing, they don’t stick around long enough for you to get tired of them.
I’m with the Dude. It is apocalyptic out there. Just try getting through to Social Security for god’s sake. Ok, now that I got that off my shoulder, that flower is a reminder that life will go on, with or without us.
You said it, Judy! The flower (sort of) balances being on hold. Nope, I take that back. NOTHING balances being on hold, especially when a chirpy recorded voice keeps telling you they’re busy “helping people just like you.” Oooo! I think I have the beginning of next week’s post! Thank you!