When suddenly I am old and I start to wear purple.

My wife is, as was, her mother a Red Hatter and that is a society of women who defy what society thinks of the elderly. and the first verse of the following poem sits on our fridge but I always wondered about the entire poem. Many of you have read it and it has much meaning for many. However, some of the interpretations I have read say that as we age we gain should new freedoms, the chance to show our true selves suppressed by years of professional duty or social decorum.

The dream may be there but it is a myth, we do not change because we reach a certain age. As Joseph points out in the closing lines of the poem: “maybe I ought to practice a little now? So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised when suddenly I am old and start to wear purple.

The time to wear purple and be outrageous is when you are younger, if you won’t be outrageous when you are young, you will find it difficult to be that courageous when you are older. Life is an adventure and we are the heroes and heroine of our own adventure, and it is difficult to change our part in our story as we move to the end of our saga. Contriving some entirely new persona in one’s pensionable years feels just as uncomfortable as it looks, so when you are young, create that persona and let them sneak out to surprise people every now and then. So when you are older, this persona can be brought out without everyone around you think that you not right in your head. Let them know the secret you when you are young. If people ask what you are doing tell them,

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple. 

Project Poem

Robert Lee Brewer has a poetry page and every Wednesday he posts a Wednesday Poetry Prompt! On May 3rd his prompt was to write a project poem. He said, “there are so many possible projects: write a book; plant a garden; train for a marathon; build a life-size Godzilla out of ice cream and toppings (and then, eat it!). I mean, this prompt projects a lot of possibilities.” He also posted his Project Poem, building a Patio. My poem is "the Fence" right below Mr. Brewers poem

“the patio”

it took an entire weekend
to dig up the earth & smooth
out the base & place the stones
that weren’t exactly perfectly
level but the three-person
swing held an entire
four-person family
late into Sunday
evening

The Fence

Tearing down was easy, the lumber flew

The posts snapped to attention then fell on cue

Within minutes space occupied where there was a wall

They watched enthralled

As we moved the timber to the truck

And out of sight, soon with any luck

The first post hole soon was dug, the cement poured

Section one completed once we nailed in the boards

Within two hours the fence was completed

Drinking our lemonade we were not feeling cheated.

What project do you have that could be turned into a poem?

The Old Refrain

 I came across this old Irish Song on "As Time Goes By and thought it had interesting lyrics, so I thought I would share it. On the link, you can listen to the melody and sing along with Fritz as he plays on his violin.Thoughts about grower older are the theme. 

Here is another perspective on ageing by Lola, in which she says, "One of the best books on aging I've read is Helen M. Luke's "Old Age" in which she uses literature (King Lear, the Odyssey, etc) to illustrate the point that one cannot continue to do and be the same person one was in midlife. She says old age is about something other than being and doing big things. It is about assimilation and reflection and reconciliation, it is a more internal process."

Author: Fritz Kreisler        

I often think of home Dee-ol-ee-ay 
When I am all alone and far away;
I sing an old refrain, dee-ol-ee-ay 
For it recalls to me a bygone day
It takes me back again to meadows fair 
Where sunlight's golden rays beam everywhere

My childhood joys again come back to me 
My mother's face in fancy too I see 
It was my mother taught me how to sing 
And to that memory my heart will cling 
I'm never sad and alone while on my way 
As long as I can sing Dee-ol-ee-ay

Though years have passed and gone, dee-ol-ee-ay 
And though my heart is young my head is grey. 
Yet still the echoes ring, dee-ol-ee-ay 
And dear old memories forever stay. 
This song will bring me visions full of light 
And sweetest dreams throughout the darkest night

Of all that life can give, that song is best
I'll take it with me when I go to rest 
And when at last my journey here is o'er 
'Twill ring more joyfully than e'er before 
For up to heavens I will take my lay 
The angels, too, will sing dee-ol-ee-ay

3000 and counting

This is my 3000 post. I started with a post about the news I was going to be a grandfather.almost 8 years ago. This was about a month after my grandson was born and my wife was in Australia and I was going to be heading down in about two weeks to see my new grandchild. 

Two things I said in that post still apply.
The first is 'I am not sure if being a grandfather makes me a senior or do I still qualify for being a boomer. I am not yet ready to call myself a senior although I suspect that younger people would think I qualify." I definitely qualify for senior status, but still, refuse to be called a senior and think of my self as a Boomer, or as my friend Ernie called me a "Sonic Boomer".

The second, in my first post, I also talked about my going across the border and being stopped because of a computer glitch and I wrote, "I also enjoyed the idea that I was suspected of setting the world on fire again even if the reason was a computer glitch." 
Boomers are still setting the world on fire, although my peers such as Donald Trump continue to give my generation a bad name. Overall we have done a lot of good over the last 70 plus years, but we could have done better. I am happy that many of my peers are still involved in supporting others through volunteering, demonstrations and being involved in our community. 

I hope to continue writing for another at least 10 years and I thank all of you who read my words and give me feedback. It makes life exciting and interesting