On a recent post on a Social Media Site there was cartoon of two unicorns watching the Ark sail away in the distance. The caption below it read, "The Original Senior Moment".
This brought to mind some recent incidents that I have begrudgingly been able to pass over as Senior Moments mainly because the people involved never had set eyes on me before nor would they ever again. The first incident was when I decided to take a tour of an Historical Brewery while on vacation. When I walked into the establishment I saw that there were about 15 people gathered in a huddle listening intently to who appeared to be a costumed guide. I immediately ran up to join the group and found myself suddenly being intercepted by a uniformed person who informed me that while I was correct in the fact that the tour had already started I had to first pay at the cashier's outlet down the stairs and to the left. After I had paid the $23 the cashier told me they would let me know when the next tour would begin approximately 20 minutes hence. I sat quietly on the bench designed for waiting tourists and proceeded to take out my treasured novel and decided to pass the time reading. A while later I happened to look up and there up on the balcony again was another group of people paying rapt attention to the same previously mentioned historically costumed tour guide. I had missed the first few minutes of the tour and had to hasten to put away my book and run up the steps. I felt the eyes of the security guard on me once more and caught the rapid glances between tour guide, guard, and cashier before I was included in the group and finally guided forward into the depths of history.
This same feeling of as the French would say " walking beside myself" occurred as I lined up at Timmies to order a much needed beverage and a little snack. While standing dutifully in a moderately long line (less than 10 more than 5) I examined the menu lit up high above for all to see. I idly started to imagine and compare several choices and combinations of choices based on calories, tastiness, cost, and most importantly ' chances that it would be good' when I felt a soft and tender tap on my shoulder. Thinking that perhaps there was someone in the establishment that I knew I turned around with a smile and was surprised ( and not unpleasantly so) to see that it was a nice looking ruggedly handsome young man who had tapped my shoulder. I was understandably curious to know why he had felt he had to catch my attention and in response to my quizzical look he pointed to the cashier while commenting that she had been free to take my order for several seconds.
I immediately sauntered quickly over to the counter to order while apologizing. I recited my order and paid for it dutifully. The person who took my order seemed to suddenly disappear. I assumed she had gone to prepare my request so I again focused on the menu flashing above and waited. Finally after quite a while it seemed, the server was standing in front of me. She explained that my order was at the end of the counter and would I please move along so others could place their orders?
Perhaps this is a case where a Senior Moment becomes a Senior Minute, or what might better be more accurately described as a Senior Quarter Hour.
Senior Moments can be a bit embarrassing while being the cause of some confusion for not only the Senior but also to those around them. These 'Moments" are no doubt happening more and more every day and in every way as the population ages and medical advances allow this population more interaction with people of 'youth'. I am referring to those who cannot explain away their own random acts of mental lapses on the confusion of age.
The members of the population who have not yet achieved this license of guilt free social faux pas have only their overuse and abuse of drugs or alcohol intertwined with their limited IQs or life experience on which to blame their less than socially acceptable behaviours.
Take for example the young, beautiful , nubile, and otherwise intelligent example of femininity who admitted to me that she had gotten massively drunk at the bar and had made out with an 80 year old.
Yes, this seemingly unseemly example of what happens when you are a young person who has drank too much might seem distasteful to some.
But I bet it was 'somekinda ' Senior Moment/Minute/Quarter Hour for that 80 year old.
In fact, I wouldn't doubt that his family can find him hanging around that bar a lot just to see if he can experience 'deja vu'--another type of phenomena that has been used as an excuse for even more and varied Social Anomalies too numerous to mention at this moment--Senior or not.
Have you ever had a Senior Moment you would like to share?
