By Linda Shaffer
I’ve always wondered about that old saying about people who have “their pants/panties in a wad.” There are other sayings like that. You can skip grooves or be a bubble off plumb, have a bad hair day or get up on the wrong side of the bed. All of these would indicate that you might be in a mood…and not a good one. There are way too many of these axioms describing bad moods.
What about happy people who know it and clap their hands? Popular opinion says they are high on something other than life. What a pity. What about the people who smile at you, try to make eye contact, and say, “good morning, afternoon, evening, etc.”? Clearly they want something. How about people who send cards and letters or call just to see how you are? Those folks? They’re trying to get into heaven because they are always in a good mood.
I hate to break this to you but I find some of my old pals to be pretty moody. This means they can start a conversation in a real funk and change directions if you say funny things for several minutes. I have never known this to fail, but have watched my clever “cheer up” plan crash and burn as these folks sign off at the door or over the phone with something like, “Well, I guess I’ll get back to my cave.” Since I’ve never been in a cheerful cave, I have to believe they are returning to a safe place where they got up on the wrong side of the bed.
For the record, some lovely old folks are filled with aches and pains, anger, bitterness, loneliness and a general dislike of all things in the world as it whirls around them. They don’t embrace change. They hate it. The problem is that they’ve run out of friends and can’t figure out why. They lose attention from family members because they become exhausting to deal with. These are the ones I wish I could get to. What would I say? Negativity doesn’t even attract fruit flies.
On the other hand, we find old people with diseases whose names they can’t pronounce and a list of meds to match. No matter what side of the bed they get up on, it’s the right side. They may have to pause before they actually take a step because of pain, but their feet are on the ground. These are the people who will most likely have a good day. Why? They want to and have figured out that they alone have control over what happens next. If they are lonely, they’ll reach out to someone. If they don’t feel well, they’ll make an effort to be better. If they are bored, they’ll find something to do or be content with boredom. Or, perhaps they’ll be like me and become a televisionaholic. Channel changers were made for us.
Since nothing is one way or another we have the popular “Combo Geezer”, which most of us are. Good days and bad days but our responses to them vary. If asked how I’m doing, I automatically say “good.” It’s programmed into my brain. Unfortunately, I say it to people who arrive in an ambulance. Friends, this is not good. This is the other mood and I call it “numb.” This appropriately rhymes with dumb and is part of an important phase we either have entered or eventually will. We don’t always tell the whole truth. Sometimes our moods get in the way of that simple task.
Bad moods, numb and dumb shouldn’t interfere with family, friends or health care. Of course, you know I’ll add UPS and USPS and anyone who helps me solve a computer problem, my Facebook friends, Geezer Tribe readers, the doe and her fawns who were here this morning and the crows who rejected my generous offer of sweetened, water soaked corn flakes.
I do get my panties in a wad over telemarketing. It’s a real button-pusher with me. I have my phone turned down because it bothered Mr. S so much. I left it that way after he died. By 8am I can have as many as four telemarketing calls and they go on throughout the day. My phone continues to repeat, “Please leave a message and we’ll return your call.” I figure if you are not clever enough to leave a message, then I don’t need to talk to you. Is that a mood, or what?
See? There’s a place for all of us on the moodiness scale. We just need to find it, keep it or change it. We’re still the boss of us.
Have a great week my friends!
