This will serve
to introduce a column for seniors which will appear every
other Sunday. When I initially came to the New Haven area
from Long Island, fifteen years ago, in addition to becoming
familiar with the neighborhood by reading the Register,
I also particularly enjoyed a column called, “Second
Round” written by the Register’s senior columnist,
Al Sizer. A few years ago, Al moved to Arizona and his columns
ended.
Meanwhile, I had founded
a retirement advisory service known as “Senior Living
Solutions” and had also become a consultant for the
Senior Services division of the H. Pearce Company. As a
senior myself, involved on a daily basis with other seniors
and professionals in the field of aging, I have often wished
for a way to converse with a wide audience of the “over
55” populace….to share problems and joys and
perhaps to explore the aging process from the viewpoint
of what can be gained, not what is lost. With this is mind,
I approached the Publisher and Chief Executive Officer of
the Register, who turned my query over to the Editor in
Chief, who turned things over to the Features Editor (that’s
the way chains of command in the business sector, work ,
you know) who thought it was a great idea to revive a column
for seniors.
I plan to cover special features
of interest to seniors as well as general commentary on
events and happenings, from my particular perspective. That
perspective has been shaped, in part, by having lived in
different places, including several years in Japan; being
married for fifty years to a wonderful but typical, “engineer-type”
husband and attempting to rear three children. No grandchildren,
unfortunately, but I lavish misplaced grandmotherly affection
on a loquacious Siamese, called, Suki.
Now, dear reader, it’s
up to you. You are the necessary other half of the equation
essential to a conversation. I would very much like to learn
about you and what subjects you might wish to see covered
in future articles.
I'M JUST AN OLD FASHIONED
GIRL
After years of
considering myself a “thoroughly modern Millie”,
an advocate for women who chose to go to work in the days
when the ultimate career goal was marriage, a die-hard believer
that anything a man can do, a woman can probably do better
and quicker, I am about to turn in my refrigerator magnet
that proclaims, “Feminism… the radical notion
that women are people” for one extolling the virtues
of being old fashioned.
This old fashioned
inclination started to manifest itself some years ago when
my youngest, a daughter, entered womanhood and could be
heard to remark, “Oh, mother, you’re so old
fashioned”, pronounced with eyes looking heavenward
as if any hope that existed, if indeed there was any at
all, would only come from a deity above. Usually, this utterance
was in reply to my skepticism regarding purple hair or two
a.m. as a suitable bedtime. I accepted her old fashioned
label as the price of being a good parent. As she grew older,
my uses of outdated words like “swell” and “thing-a-ma-jig”,
no longer mortified but only gently amused her. Gradually,
however, I noticed that it was not just my immediate family
with whom I was out of step. “Sir” and “Madam”
were being replaced by “you guys”, “huh”
instead of “excuse me” and everything was either
“gross” or “awesome”. Jeans and
tee shirts were no longer casual wear but appropriate attire
for any and all occasions. As for thank you notes for gifts
or favors received, they have become as extinct as the poor
dodo bird. I’m becoming real nostalgic for the simple
niceties of life.
Remember the sweetness of:
The doorman who welcomed
you at B. Altman
and held up a big, yellow umbrella when it rained.
Salespeople who knew your
name and favorite bands.
Purchases neatly wrapped delivered free of charge.
Music you could hum to
Live people to respond to
your questions when
you called your doctor, bank, telephone company
or repair service.
Awe inspiring, red plush
seated movie palaces
featuring one film, a cartoon, newsreel and organ
sing-a-long, all for under $1.00, instead of over-priced
“multiplexes” with ear blasting commercials
and movie previews.
Conversations, after dinner,
on airplanes, in offices,
jump rope, ringalevio and stick ball, none of which
necessitated Mom or Dad chauffeuring.
Bedtime stories, where
my own imagination, not the
TV, supplied the pictures.
And now that I’ve reached
what is known as “a certain age” (a lovely ambiguous
expression, by the way) I especially miss the extra courtesies
and respect formerly accorded to you as one aged. Don’t
get me wrong….. I’m not for returning to what
those with dim memories call, “the good old days”.
I think air conditioning, micro wave ovens, drip dry fabrics
and yes, even computers, are fine and dandy but if decorum
in speech and dress, consideration for the other person
and just simple good manners, means I’m out dated,
just call me an old fashioned girl.
Jean Cherni
is founder of Senior Living Solutions, a retirement advisory
service. Contact her at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or
15 The Ponds, Branford 06405. H. Pearce Company REALTORS®
is a full-service real estate company with more than 100
agents and branch offices in greater New Haven and the Shoreline.
Corporate and & Commercial offices are located in North
Haven, where the company was founded in 1958. All listings
can be found in color on the web at: www.hpearce.com. |
