The Stones Had It Right

An actual conversation I witnessed this afternoon...

The scene: A hospital room with two elderly women patients. Patient#2 is gravely ill and delirious. Patient#1 is on the mend, and to be released in a day or two.

Patient#2: (between moans) Watermelon... Watermelon... I want some watermelon.

Patient#1: Me too!

Patient#2: Why don't you go get us some?

Patient#1: I can't. They won't let me.

Patient#2: Why not? I want us to have watermelon.

Patient#1: They say I have pneumonia...

Patient#2: What? Lawd have mercy?

Patient#1: ...

Patient#2: How we gonna get the watermelon?

Great advice!

In the grocery store parking lot, I saw a spry elderly man get out of his vehicle. On his back windshield was a large sign reading "retired."

I told him that he looked too young to be retired. He grinned and told me that he would be 90 years old on August 17th. His advice for longevity and youth was "Stop watching TV... Get up and move around, even if you need to sit back down in another minute!"

His wife shook her loving Italian finger at me and demanded "Never get old. You know what I'm saying." I thanked and wished them both well.

I should have hugged them.