In Awe

[poliphilo]

My father-in-law came out of hospital a week ago. Yesterday he drove up into town, walked round the market, then dropped in on us on his way home. Elsewhere on the planet, Judy's mother- who is about the same age- had her purse snatched outside her apartment block. Instead of tamely falling over and breaking her hip, she yelled out and gave chase- with the result that the thief was apprehended within a block or two and she got her purse back. I'm in awe of these remarkable old people. Will I be as resilient and feisty when- and if- I  get to 80+?

Comments

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Gosh, yes - good for both of them! I'm pretty sure you will be a feisty octogenarian yourself, though, so don't get too worried.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I would like to be- but there's a pretty steep hill between now and then.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

I vote yes. :-)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[daisytells.livejournal.com]

There's a lot of that going around - feisty old people, I mean. I'm one. My own grandmother beat a would-be mugger over the head with her purse, and some passers-by hung onto the perp until the cops came. I'll bet HE wished he had chosen another line of work!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'll bet he did!

[oakmouse]

If you keep active and interested, probably. ;)

I like to keep in mind an old-time strong man named Joe Greenstein, stage name The Mighty Atom. When he was a widower in his 70s he ended up living in a walk-up apartment in a dangerous neighborhood in New York City. Three young toughs tried to mug him on the stairs one day. Joe cheerfully threw them down the stairs, dusted his hands, and told them to be careful because they might hurt themselves.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I like that story.

Judy's mother is a New Yorker too.

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

You seem to be doing quite well in middle age, so I suspect you'll still be pretty spunky at 80. One's state of mind seems to be half the battle.

My father turned 80 in January and still holds his pilot's license. He went flying solo just a couple of weeks ago, during a break in the weather. He claims that he's going to be selling his airplane soon, but I'll believe it when I see it.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Still flying at 80- I'm mightily impressed.

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

My father's father was dead before 73 of a very bad heart. My father seems to be taking after his mother, for better or worse, of whom it was said that they would have to "knock her in the head on Judgement Day".

I really hope that the crabby old dear can keep flying for at least a while longer. It's one of the few things that makes him happy.