Getting Old is a Bitch

Anyone who knows me knows that I hate this getting older business.  I am not a hell of a lot wiser, I am not a hell of a lot smarter but I am a little bit slower than I used to be..  It takes that little bit longer to recover..

 

However; when I say growing old is a bitch I am coming at it from a different angle..  Let me explain.

 

Last night I called my great aunt, rather naughtily I haven't done that since about May.  You know, life tends to get in the way.  I knew she had not been well.  I didn't quite know to what extent until I spoke to her.  She immediately thanked me for calling as she had been worried it had taken so long to return their call (from 5 days before).  That comment immediately put me on high alert. One thing Auntie Barb doesn't do is ever get emotional.  We got past the "sorry, I didn't mean to worry you" and settled into conversation.  She was a little difficult to understand, it sounded like she'd had a stroke and her speech was somewhat laboured.  We continued to chat - she asked about Lily, as she always does and told me about Merlin, her new cat she is fostering with her husband, Brian.

 

Barbie and I are like two peas in a pod, we never had children, and she and Brian lived a magnificent life, always on the go and travelling.  She asked me if I ever regretted not having children, again unusual, as we never talked about sentimental stuff.

 

Then she went off on a tangent I didn't quite understand, and then out of the blue said "well, you don't know Vic, but he was my brother and he died 11 years ago the June just gone".  Vic was my grandfather.  It was then that I realised that Barbie is getting old and then it hit me like a ton of bricks, Barbie would have to be in her mid to late 80's.

 

I never imagined her to be old.  She was always this strong woman who I held in the highest regard (and still do) because of her no nonsense, no bullshit approach to life.  She told it like it is/was.  I remember going to her house in 2003, when I lived in Melbourne, and going into her garage to get a bottle of champagne (Verve, 2002 I was instructed to get) to have with lunch and I'll never forget there was a whole wall filled with bottles of champagne from all over the world.  Her motto in life was (maybe still is) champagne is for any occasion at any time of the day and it cures everything!

 

So we continued to chat, she asked me to send her a postcard from San Francisco, her memory obviously back in check, she told me to call again soon and we hung up.  I feel this overwhelming sadness that I didn't see this coming.  At what point did I not realise that people get old?  Maybe I just thought she was indestructible, maybe I wanted her to live for ever.  Maybe I just never thought someone, who I thought was so bullet proof, would ever change.

 

So, today, even though it is Dry July, I am going to raise a glass of champagne to my Auntie Barb.  I'll gladly pay the $25 for the pass out for a glass.  And I won't just send her one postcard from San Francisco, I will send her one every day.  And I will ring once a fortnight.  That is my promise to you Auntie Barb, it is the least I can do.

Dry July - Day 23

Well, I'm nearly there and I have to say, it definitely got easier.  To the point I don't even think about having a beer or a wine anymore, even when I am out surrounded by friends who are enjoying a beverage, it truly doesn't worry me...  of course, we have the comedians who make a big deal of it and tease me mercilessly, but I guess it is all part and parcel of doing Dry July!

We've raised over $800 so far, with a week to go.  Oatley RSL have put a collection box on the bar, so hopefully there is a bit more to be collected before we get to the end of July.  If anyone out there would like to donate to such a great cause follow this link: Allégra - Dry July

 

I have to say the one thing that has surprised me since I started this campaign is people's reactions to finding out Dry July is to support adults living with cancer.  A lot of people's attitude is "if it was children we'd sponsor, but we won't sponsor you as it is for adults".

 

REALLY???????  I find that attitude bizarre - cancer is cancer people, it doesn't discriminate who it affects - you can be a baby, 42 or 65 or 90.  It can hit anyone, anytime.

 

Any who this is probably the last Dry July blog, thanks for reading, thank you for supporting us - see you again next year.

 



Dry July Diary - Day 4

I am not sure if it is psychological, I think perhaps it is, but since embarking on Dry July on Monday the 1^st of July I haven’t been able to sleep.

Normally I come home from work, get dinner prepared, sit down to a glass of wine, eat dinner and then have another glass.  I usually go to bed about 9.30pm and start snoring (so my husband says, but he can’t be trusted) and before I know it, it is 6am.

This week I have come home from work, prepared and eaten dinner, had a diet dry ginger ale and watched TV till 11pm.  If not later.  I am not tired, and when I do go to bed I lay there and stare at the ceiling for hours.  My mind won’t switch off.  I think about work, what I need to do the next day, what I didn’t do that day and worry about inconsequential things.

I am hoping that in a week or so this will have changed.  Withdrawals maybe?  I honestly didn’t think I consumed enough alcohol to be having withdrawals but maybe you only need a glass or two a night to build up a reliance on it?

Anyway, the weekend is looming and I am sure that is going to be tough but I will not weaken and get a Golden Ticket – I will do this.  I attended a lunch today and quite happily drank mineral water (along with a few fellow Dry Julyers, which was fabulous to see!) and didn’t miss the champagne at all (they tell me it was horrid anyway).

 Thanks to those who have donated thus far, we really appreciate it.

Ex's - Can You be Friends on Social Media?

I was reading a blog the other day about how no one, and I mean NO ONE, should be friends with their ex’s on any form of social media (and you know what, I can’t find the link to reference it, but go to google and you’ll find plenty of stories!).  Apparently it is bad for your self-esteem, well-being and overall health.   I’ve got to agree.  I’ve been cyber friends with one or two former boyfriends over the years and after a while you just wonder why the heck you’re bothering.  It wasn’t going anywhere, or obviously they wouldn’t have been an ex – so why want an insight into their life today?

 

Anyway, I just thought I'd pose the question - it's an interesting conundrum.. 

 

Mean while I will leave you with a quote, not sure who by, probably an anonymous who couldn't let go of their ex on a social media platform...  But anyway....

 



Do you agree or disagree?