I restarted my education at night school at Boston University’s Metropolitan College. It’s where I completed the first year and a half of my bachelor’s degree at night. I couldn’t afford to matriculate during the day and go full-time; it was nights and work forty hours a week. I paid loans on my education off semester by semester, and it was a bit of a hungry existence. What I was working at was a sort of rich elderly man’s companion (read servant).
I’d show up in the morning, help Mr. So and So get dressed, get breakfast, and set up the Wall Street Journal or the Times for him. Then I’d serve coffee, and generally take some verbal abuse until he decided to go to “the club.” After that, I’d get a cab, escort him, and see him into the Union League or some such club. Then I’d hide within observing range for him to be needing to be poured into a cab for home. And so it would go until I was off duty and hurrying home. I’d feed my cat and run off to the university.
There were at least three of these elderly “gentlemen”. They put me off ever wanting to age into the sort of nasty ogres that they had become. All were, I believe, past ninety, and were the most despicable sorts of characters you ever want to meet. They were former lawyers, stockbrokers, and a physician. They had family, but other than paying for care, they were largely absent ( I can’t blame them).
My experiences put me off the extremely wealthy, and the super-aged, who had never learned humility or respect for other people. The experiences were a sort of catalyst for thought. None in my family had enough wealth to afford that lifestyle, spend enough for the contents of those liquor cabinets, fancy clubs, or to mistreat people as they did.
To twist around the old saw that the “poor will always be with us,” I assume that the idle, abusive rich will also.
Live to an extreme age? Not like those people. Live to enjoy your family, find happiness in your social connections, pets, gardens, and other things, you bet.
Be a cruel, nasty parasite. Not interested.
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Went to a tea party with my neighbors. It was the most courageous conversation the three of us have ever had in 11 1/2 years of knowing each other. We dared to talk about the “forbidden” topics — dying among them. It was intense, tiring, yet liberating. I like the things you suggest we live for. I think you might see them again in another place tomorrow, expressed differently, but essentially the same. As my bro used to say, ‘Oh that guy. He thinks he’s somebody.’
I’ll look forward to it!
😊
I do agree with you too dear Lou, in everywhere, in any time we can see them around us.. Thank you, have a nice day, Love, nia