One Of Those Days

Did you ever have one of those days? As a senior, I have experienced them more often than not. Aches and pains, sometimes of unknown origin, occasionally plague my day. My sense of misdirection, which I was born with, can often wreak havoc with timing, turning my day into catch-up. I am retired. That means I have plenty of time. Some days turn into quiet blurs. Some days I forget what day of the week it is. Yes, I am one of those. Many seniors use physical aides such as a cane, a walker, or a scooter. My physical aide is my Google Calendar.

[The home computer came into existence in my mid-thirties. I had already graduated from the typewriter, to the electric typewriter, to the word processor. I was determined to keep up and learn the computer. I was one of those people who had to ask an expert to come over and show me how to turn the computer on! Yes, I am one of those. To get on the internet, you had to endure a minute of “Wee-Ooh” sounds just to be connected. We did not have Google at that time. We had our own search engine, Ask Jeeves, and we were grateful for that. Today, my phone holds ten times the info, maybe more, than that computer did. One of those bits of info is the calendar.]

I wake up and grab my calendar. I usually know what day it is, but sometimes I forget. What I really need from it is the daily changes and additions to my retirement schedule: doctor’s appointments, weekly social events, special events, and birthdays. Birthdays are the most important to me. Some people rely on lists they make up. Lists are great. Writing things down is a wonderful exercise for hand-eye-brain coordination. The only thing you have to do after that is to remember where the heck you put that list! Yes, I am one of those. So, my calendar is a part of me, my physical aide for well-being, especially if I have more than one change or addition to my regular schedule.

Unfortunately, I can get in the way of technology. I put the important date on the wrong Monday. Or I just put it on the wrong date. Tuesday is so close to Monday on my teeny tiny calendar. Sometimes, I forget to put it on the calendar, period. Also, my calendar reminds me of an upcoming event. “Your nephew’s birthday” will appear one morning. It is a reminder but it doesn’t state that it is a reminder. It just says BIRTHDAY. The birthday is a week away but I post on the Family WhatsApp with GIF included. Yes, I am one of those. Then, as family informs me, I post a self-depracating response and slink away into my old lady closet. I have enough self-respect to heal from the moment, and then I slog on, working to keep up with the constant changes in technology.

I am one of the very few here who can stoop, pick up a fallen item, and rise again without help. I can still drive. I can whip out my phone and ‘Google’, locating the answer that a trivia buff is stumped by. And, I have my calendar. Yes, I am one of those, and I am grateful for that.

Carpe diem!