Signs of Getting older #8: every day increases the risk.

Just another romp in the parking lot of life

Maybe it was the New Zealand earthquake coverage or maybe it was the jolly espionage novel set in WWII Germany I was reading, but I’ve noticed a slight shift in my perceptions of events.

When contemplating anything from gotterdammerung to multiple smirking riffs on “I’ve fallen and can’t get up”, I’d always imagined myself lasting as long as it took for the cavalry, army reserve or nosy neighbour wondering why the junk mail is piling up on the porch to come knocking on the door.  If it meant fighting the cat for first laps  at the water bowl or joining forces with her to knock the kibble bag down from it’s shelf or even being reduced to eating left overs, I’d dig deep and hang on.

Of late, however, I’ve had to bow to certain medical realities and admit, while I might survive the plane crash, once the pills run out, I’m not gonna make it to Season 2 on the Island.

Unnatural selection - Birkenau

In the WWII novel I was reading, there is a scene where the women prisoners in a concentration camp find themselves in the position of choosing who among them will survive a gas attack (long story, don’t ask).  The criteria comes down to age, fitness and finally, the ability to bear children. Ironically enough, except for reproduction, that was much the same criteria used when the women would have arrived at the sortation camps.

Even though I sort of lost interest in the story line after this point, I read through to the inevitable conclusion where the grandson of the hero of the tale meets the granddaughter of the hero’s extra-marital, war-is-hell tension release/love interest and falls (once a little math rules out incest) as hard as gramps did.

Why do I bring it up? Well, a couple of weeks later, as I was hurrying hard at the curling club in the Monday afternoon Ladies league (I always picture the David Walliam’s character, Emily Howard and pronounce it with that distinct falsetto) I took a moment to look around me. None of us would have made the cut.

Up in the viewing lounge was an older alumni of the league, who could no longer curl (hard to believe, I know but it does eventually happen) but was still part of the league, still here to lend support and to enjoy the company of her friends.

There is a saying from the Talmud, “who saves one life saves the world”.  At that moment, out there on the ice, I was suddenly warm and so damn happy to be part of this world, all these worlds.

Verl, my mom away from mom

Betty - she growls but the sun shines when she smiles.

Mary Anne - never quit, never give up, play till they turn out the lights