Will the Real Little Old Lady Please Stand UpACTING LIKE A LITTLE OLD LADY
When I played the role of a little old lady in high school, I thought it would give me a look into the future. But putting my hair in a bun and adding a few fake wrinkles to my face didn’t give me a clue about what getting old is really like. I loved being in plays. As I was waiting back stage I was always nervous about the performance, but when the curtain went up I felt a sense of peace. It was a mini world where I knew my lines and what I was going to say. Yes, there would be moments during the play where something went wrong, but I knew where we were going and I felt confident that I would know what to say and do. BEING A LITTLE OLD LADY Real life isn’t like that. I don’t know what the future holds. Thank goodness my 75 years of life experiences have given me the confidence I didn’t have when I was teenager. At this age I don’t need to know all of my lines in order to deal with the unpredictability of life. Not only can I go with the flow, I kind of enjoy it. Recently a friend, who is 6 months younger than me, made a comment about this age as being 3/4 of the way through life if we live to be 100. My Dad lived to be 101 so reaching the 100 mark does not seem impossible. The reality, however, is that I’m looking at a more limited future with a maximum life expectancy of twenty years or so if I’m lucky. The other day I heard myself refer to this time of my life as the “Last Act.” I think it’s time for me to stop thinking about being in my Last Act and focus on living in my Next Act. THE LAST ACT VS. THE NEXT ACT There is something very limited about the idea of the Last Act, as if I don’t have very far to go. Who knows what will happen next. I would never have guessed as a teenager that I would be a writer and publish a book as a little old lady with cats. I could have some new experiences that far surpass anything in my past, or at the very least will challenge me and expand my view of the world. I might be limited by my physical abilities but I am not limited by my imagination. It’s probably a good thing that I can’t predict what the future holds as if I was a character in a play. It’s better if I let myself be surprised by this Next Act.
1 Comment
Meg
9/27/2023 09:33:44 pm
May your next act be filled with wonderful surprises! Love the idea!
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Leslie Masona woman in search of her post-retirement future Guess what! By subscribing, you get notices about the latest Little Old Lady with Cats posts sent to your mailbox!
* * *
The Book Naked Little Old Lady with Cats A collection of Little Old Lady with Cats blogs * * *
WHAT IS A LITTLE OLD LADY WITH CATS - REALLY?
(from an entry posted on 5/1/2015) “I definitely fit some of the characteristics of a little old lady with cats: Retired - check, Single - check, Like to knit - check, Have cats - check. . .I do not want to get stuck in my Little Old Lady persona, however. In fact, this blog is a risk taking experiment in exploring and redefining what I want my retired life to look like.” Categories
All
Archive
June 2024
|