We don't. For many of us, that took a large chunk of our lifetime to finally figure that out.
Sometimes, without putting our finger and thumb up to plug our nostrils.... or.... perhaps we so very badly resist an urge to shout, "Jane, you ignorant slut" - to those that are 'fixers'. Savior complex, so to speak. "If I were you I would......" or, "I think if you just (did this, tried that)......" Without knowing fer sure, or fer sure not, whether they have good intentions - they, at least to this old fart, come across more as controlling, blurring the lines between helping and meddling. And much like the Jane comment we didn't say but wanted to, we silently offer "Gee, how'd I EVER make it this far without you?"
That's the James (Buster ) Thomas of it..... and if you ain't from Liberty - you need to know he is a highly respected, nationally known, successful Stage Designer... ie, the stage is set.
We, the old, perhaps thought of as feeble....... for instance..... might jump (gently fall) into our car... type our destination into our GPS.... crank it up and start driving. Along the way, with Billy Joel, Bruce, Mick, Tom Petty somewhat drowning out the GPS lady, we still can hear "In one-half mile, use the right lane and take Exit 38." We don't move from the center lane.
A few seconds after we miss the exit, a somewhat sterner "Make a U-turn in a quarter-mile on Gladstone Boulevard." Now, Stevie can be heard singing "Gypsy" in the foreground... then, "IN A HALF MILE, TURN LEFT ON MANOR LANE".... And, we don't.
It ain't like we're in the living room and the wifey has said something a couple of times you didn't (listen) catch it.... we very well heard the GPS lady - that just ain't the way we wanna go, and we know, due to our old age and infinite wisdom (haha), she'll catch up and eventually get to our street of choice.
We've spent a lifetime explaining ourselves, our choices - and the justification of same.
Nuh uh, no more. Doesn't mean we're any smarter than anyone else... and hopefully we're not arrogant, or perhaps deemed hardheaded (we might not care much on that though, even if we are.)
It, the stage Buster set.... the songs they all sang... the GPS lady... are hopefully a view from our shoe on the gas pedal - into life. The direction of our car is one simple aspect - the rest, the rest of things in our lives - are choices we make, sure, some may say 'selfish', but, if you can't be a tad selfish at 70-something, when canya start? Food, time, clothes, kind of car, friends we hang with, activities we do (or not), the books we checkout, the gifts we pick out, the texts we send... much, all, is of our own doing, choice. It's pretty nice.
Yes, much comes from been there, done that. In disagreement, or, in not accepting a suggestion - we certainly attempt to do so in smile, little verbalization, and in hopes of not hurting feelings (but too, we're still going with Plan O, as in, Ours.)
It's Botox for our brain. Baby aspirin to our blood pressure. Sane, to our sanity.
I giggle, and think back to what David said. In case you were in Constantinople for the Holidays, a couple days ago there was a blog, and one of the replys, by Mr David was "Sometimes I don't know what you are talking about, but I always love the way you say what you say, about whateverthef*ck you are talking about."
Should that be the case today.... it's all good, and it's all ok, but, I stand my ground, and, in doing so, it ain't with fists in the air, or, with barbs ready to wing - it's because I (and a good majority of us) are fatter, and we're harder to move!
It took mom, dad, maybe up to 4-5 years to fix our "I WANT WHAT I WANT AND I WANT IT NOW." Teachers, coaches, bosses, mentors, elders, expounded on that and even moreso deeply ingrained "Huh uh, that's just not the way it works."
Today, with wrinkles, narly hands, us men with stubbles on our face, mebbe you gals with stubble on your legs - have simply shortened that saying to "I WANT WHAT I WANT." Period. Sorry, not sorry. Que Sera Sera's ass (sorry, kinda)... It's whatever we want, will be.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh but in a heartbeat we'll give into, or jump back off that when a grandkid is involved..... or, if we glimpse someone along the way that reminds us so much of ourselves at that age... we give in and will do whatever it is they desire.
Not often, but happens.
We're tired. We're tired of follow the leader, Simon Says. We're ducks, out of the row now. No leash, no cubicle, no commute, no timeclock...
I have no catchy endings... and besides.. I think I heard that lady say "You've arrived at your destination."
Love, Victurd
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