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By Misti Date: 2001 Nov 17 Comment on this Work [[2001.11.17.13.30.27241]] |
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In our golden years when we've lived a full-fledged well-rounded life, with friends we entertain in our Spanish dream home in Baja and kids and grandkids we see at Thanksgiving and Christmas and Easter, we will still shop for groceries together. Inevitably, we'll still argue over the items we place in the cart. "All I want is a pint of Ben & Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch," I'll say in a small voice. "It's ridiculous to spend that much money on a little carton of ice cream! Look how cheap the Blue Bell is. Why don't you like Blue Bell? Look at all the flavors! It doesn't get any better than Cookies-n-Cream," you'll say. "But I want Coffee Heath Bar Crunch," I'll say. Maybe you'll shake your head and roll on down the aisle, looking for your bag of frozen mixed vegetables. But I hope your eyes will twinkle. I hope you'll laugh as you remember our first year of marriage, when all it took to make me happy was an occasional pint of Ben & Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch and the latest People magazine. We will still cuddle, naked and lazy. As you caress my wrinkled face, my heart will swell as it did when my face was smooth. For exercise and peace of mind, we will still take long walks in the canyons. You will point out the hawks and mountain lions and petroglyphs. And I will still want my bubble baths and "Best Hits of the '70s/'80s/'90s" cds. You will still say,"Stop singing, please. You aren't even singing the same song that's playing on the stereo!" And I will still threaten to "kick your ass into the middle of next week." I'll still get upset when you beat me at SCRABBLE. You'll still get upset when I say,"Leave me LONE! I need my space! I need to write/paint/work on my collage!" But we won't be square. You won't play golf and I won't play BINGO. We won't go on geriatric tours. I won't watch "Oprah" and read all her books. I won't crotchet or swap recipes with Betty Lou down the street. I won't call younger women "honey" and "dear." And we won't have a robot housekeeper. I wouldn't trust it around our Fiesta ware. |