Our aging population and “A Message, Choked-Back”
In the United States, and throughout much of the world, our population is aging. There are multiple reasons for this. The urbanization of most societies has led to a desire for smaller families on the part of most people. Modern, effective contraceptives have made penile-vaginal intercourse without conception a reality. Better nutrition, sanitation, and health care have extended life expectancies. As a result of these factors, we have more elderly people alive today.
Reflecting on this fact led me to recall a short-short story I wrote about again that was published many years ago in “The Arizona Unconservative.†I’d be interested to learn what my blog readers think of it.
“A Message, Choked-Backâ€
by
Denise Noe
First you get wrinkled and gray. Then you get REAL wrinkled and
your hair is white. And you shrink and hump over.
But what happens when you get really old–and it doesn’t happen to many people because most die before my age–is that your skin can’t wrinkle any more so it turns SOFT. My skin hangs down in squishy strips like it’s made of some weird kind of cotton candy which is about to turn to liquid.
When I see other people look at me–even old people, the white-haired wrinkled ones–I feel funny. Maybe it’s just my imagination but it seems like they look at me like I did something bad. And I feel ashamed–so stupidly guilty.
It’s crazy, I know, but I want to tell them: “I didn’t mean to get this old! It happened because I kept on living.”
| More from Denise Noe
Stumble It!
September 28th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
I worked with seniors for two years. Age 60 plus to 96. Some handled aging well, some did not. I think those with close friends who feel that they saw a bit of the world, contributed towards the lives of others – age somewhat gracefully.
Those who are alone and wonder if they matter, worry about the details.
I have often seen younger people who rarely read, or travel, or hike, or make love, … missing out on life and I wonder if they expect a second chance.
I have seen old people who look like hell but a light shines from within and they are a pleasure and you look past the wrinkles. Almost all the seriors wondered how they got so old so fast and all would pass a mirror with a bit of suprise that they had aged “so quickly” … the good news is, when you get to the point where you really worry about the skin, you don’t really have all that much time left…
SD
January 14th, 2009 at 10:19 am
How vary gallant of Deluca. As 50 is only a few months away, seeing 60 referred as "senior" was odd. Aging is………better than the alternative.