The Old Guys

THE OLD GUYS

©Ana Sastrias 2013

As a middle age lady that I am now, I face the crossroad of life deciding to go back to my youth days or continue towards the normal course of life preparing myself for the life in advanced age. I am on the half of a century, so these two options are viable.

It is quite scary thinking this way. Such a scary feeling that it is best just to count on each day and go easy on it, instead of thinking how long will you stay alive for in your next decades.

When we think about Life, we’ve been indoctrinated in making a big issue about it. Trying to succeed in every aspect, trying to use your life the best you can, be healthy, be smart, be responsible and be generous.

As I approach each day and each month, I realise how lucky I am to continue living each day and I really appreciate the opportunity and the time. Things that the youth, who are not depressed enough, would not think about it. Funnily, sometimes you get this kind of expressions from a 20 something years old youngster: ‘I am old’, or you get the other one ‘I saw an old man’, and possibly that old man was in his 30s or 40s.

In my whole life I have been in touch with old people and I can tell the difference between a really old person and just an aged person. The difference is in their thinking and in the capacity to adapt to new circumstances. Nevertheless, everyone’s body will age to the point that will take us to the old person’s type of life and sometimes this comes very soon.

In someway I am old, as I have been accepting that I have passed the youth days and even if I still got some abilities, there will be an awkward gap between a young person and myself. Creams, exercise and good nutrition may disguise my looks and allow me to continue to mix with young people, but there are some kind of conversations that definitively will put me off and here it is where I draw my line and put my “Old person” label.

Here in Australia, the kind of old people I have met is diverse. Generally, they are very active, they are the old school, responsible, squeaky clean, punctual, very focused, reliable, organized, very generous, optimists, great memory of the past events, especially from the War Times. We can say, they are The National Treasure.

Just recently, after the passing of my husband, who became extremely old at the age of 54 and now he is hopefully enjoying the eternal and peaceful rest; I have been meeting some extraordinary people from the advanced age without planning to meet them or seeking them. It seems that there is an odd attraction that keeps me in connection with old people and I find this connection fascinating.

It is like a God’s message telling me not to be too worry about my age and see how well these advanced people are living.

One of them, I met him at the Shopping Centre where I buy my groceries. That day, I decided to go by walk as I was just going to buy two things, so I was just carrying one bag. The Shopping Centre is just 20 minutes walk distance from my place. Suddenly, I saw an old hunched back old guy pushing a wheelchair customized as a shopping trolley with many stacked up boxes full of groceries. The state of the wheelchair was deplorable, it was rusty, the wheels were not leveled and it looked so hard to push and control. I could not avoid not to ask him to help him. He looked very vulnerable. I stayed walking aside of him and asked him whether he needed any help, he just kindly said that he was alright. But, I decided I was going to be next to him in case something was happening. Anyway, we both were walking on the same direction towards my place and I got involved in the conversation. I just saw in this old chap a very strong will person, that nevertheless the trolley-wheelchair was more for the rubbish bin, he was taking it as part of his own person, both were inseparable. I told him ‘You are doing a lot of exercise pushing this trolley’ – he just said ‘Na, it is not much of an exercise’. That trolley was heavy enough to get anyone tired. I joined him until I reached my street and needed to do the turn, but I was very worry about him as the day became almost night time at that point and he was facing the cars while pushing the trolley-wheelchair.

The second old guy, and eighty one years old one I met was at the School. Coincidentally on the first lesson of my class there was a cancellation and I decided to remain at the School and attend a different class. I attended the French class. I found by my surprise that the teacher was old, but very fit, with no walking problems, good memory, none hearing problems and very kind. He speaks many languages, including Spanish. So I got into conversation and found this guy full of life. He is impressively adaptable, he even has the ability of texting in mobile phones. I never felt so inspired and happy in these days. I understood that Life is not as complex, but we are very fearful and we make things more complex. I wish I could have the motivation in Life as this guy.

Last weekend I just happened to have another encounter with an old guy in the train while coming back from Central to Penrith. I was initially alone in the carriage of the express train and it was night time. The reason I went to Central was that an old timer friend texted me to see whether I could catch up with her at a Mexican Bar with her Polish community friends in Surry Hills. So I dared to go and stayed there for an hour, as I came late.

While seating waiting for the train to depart for Penrith, I saw an old guy in a Railway Coat uniform with a very nice Vinnie entering the carriage. He was going to seat on the row of seats opposite side to me, but then he changed his mind and seated just in front of me and started the conversation. When he heard my accent he said ‘You are not from Australia’ – and I said ‘I come from Mexico, but I have been sixteen years here’. Then, he was quite comfortable talking to me and even showing me his ID cards and a medal he got as an emblem of working at the Railcorp for 45 years in Australia and 16 years in London. He is also eighty one years old. He is very tall, fit, well dressed, totally conversant. The only thing is that he struggles a bit in the use of the mobile phones that are just a screen. He is a retiree, but it seems he is very active and loves travelling in the train as he has now free fairs.

My ex-neighbour, who also is an eighty one years old war veteran, he has been pretty fit until this year that his health has started to fail a bit. He is extremely loyal at the point of being a bit annoying sometimes. He thinks I need help all the time, and so he is always telling me, ‘please if you need something, do not hesitate in calling’.

I just hope I live well the life I need to live even if I do not get to reach the eighty one years old.

Keeping in perspective I have already experienced at my young age many aspects of the old age while caring for my husband, nevertheless I have the need to wake up and continue the normal life of a common middle age lady with a future ahead.

Ana Sastrias

Penrith

24/06/2013

9:20 pm