Edition
11
I was going to tell you
all about the pain in my neck and going to see the doctor, arriving
15 minutes early so as to complete all the patient paperwork and
hand over the requisite co-pay. (Question: whatever happened
to “How’re we feeling today? instead of “Copayment please?”).
I was also going to mention the two white-uniformed young men
entering the office, heatedly discussing last night’s national
college basketball contest and taking seats near me. Then
I was going to let you in on how I joined in on their conversation
and what happened thereafter:
Both men instantly shut up, the one
nearest me turning to give me a look of abject disdain and dismissal
– hell, I was being dissed!. I read so much in his body
language: you’re only a women and obviously an old one at
that, so what the hell do you know anyway and why are you bothering
us? They left soon after, leaving me totally embarrassed,
sorry I opened my mouth.
I wanted to ask you, when in hell did
I become an old lady? The day before yesterday I was 30
and raising two children. Yesterday I was 40 and counting
boy friends. This morning I was 50 and this afternoon I’m
old.
And then I was going to go on and on
about how angry the experience made me, my feelings of intimidation
and powerlessness, mostly the latter and then I remembered that
all we seniorwomen probably feel the same way and this would just
be rubbing noses in it, right? Gee, I’m glad I got that
out of my system.
