You Can’t Keep A Good Girl Down - Even In Her Nineties!

 

I’m standing by my chair, waiting for a senior yoga class to begin. That’s because I am a senior, and someone convinced me that bending myself out of shape for an hour would make me feel better. I think it’s a lie, but I don’t have any evidence to prove it. However, a lot of people do believe it helps, because every week several dozen seasoned citizens walk into the YMCA, grab a chair, then twist, turn, stretch and bob. And I’m here too, just one more hopeful member of the geriatric yoga group. I always was one to follow the crowd. 

Before we began stretching and grunting, I struck up a conversation with a little old lady sitting next to me. Maybe I shouldn’t say old, because I’m old too.  However, I’m sure there are lots of people in this class who are several years my elder. 

What a nice person my classmate Charlotte was.  We begin to talk about a number of things, including our grandchildren - because by law, that’s what older people have to do. That’s when she asked me a very intriguing question, ”The other day one of my grandkids wanted to know who was the President of the United States when I was born. Do you know who the president was when you were born?”

I must confess that this took me off guard.  After a moment of contemplation, I replied, “Well,  I’m not 100% sure, but it’s probably  Eisenhower. It could be Truman, though.”  Then I flipped the question and asked, “So who was the president when you were born?”  It was a response based mostly out of politeness. 

There was no hesitation. “Herbert Hoover,” Charlotte responded. 

“Oh well, that’s certainly nice to hear and…. Huh? Wh-what did you just say?

“Herbert Hoover.”

I was so blown away that I put my manners aside and asked bluntly, “Charlotte, when were you born?”

“1931,” she answered indifferently. 

Now, I am no wizard in math, never have been. However, I managed to quickly do the calculation, and came to the realization that my new friend Charlotte is a 92 year-old woman.

“So you’re 92 years old?”, I asked in disbelief.

“I sure am.”

I shook my head once again, still not believing what I was hearing and seeing. Standing beside me was a woman in her nineties. who was doing yoga, and probably going to be in a water aerobics class soon. 

I laughed out loud and said, “You’re  my new hero.”

She smiled and responded, “I just do what I have to do”.

Soon we began the workout. I checked Charlotte out periodically, and while her form wasn’t perfect, her effort and energy was.  After she completed the class, she put her own chair up, and walked out of that gym like anyone else.  As far as I’m concerned, at her age that’s a victory.  

Look, all of us know that Father Time is undefeated. Even though he always wins, we can fight him as hard and as long as we can, so he knows he’s been in one heck of a fight. That’s what Charlotte’s doing every single day - fighting the good fight. And I love it. 

I can only hope that if I make it to 92 years old, somehow, someway, I’ll be in a senior yoga class with a younger lady standing next to me. If that happens, I promise you we will strike up a conversation, and the first thing I’ll ask her is if she knows who the president was when she was born. 

Take a lesson from Charlotte. Always  pay it forward. Always fight the good fight.  And don’t miss your yoga class. 

#YMCA#senioryoga#silversneakers#fightthegoodfight