I have often been thought of as being younger than I am. I have been blessed with good skin and don’t have too many wrinkles on my face. I am sure I make up for it in the rest of my body though.
Recently, I went to visit my elderly uncle (89) in hospital and was mistaken for his wife. I was not impressed! I asked, “Do I look like I am in my 80’s?” Maybe I shouldn’t have asked!
Anyway, it inspired a poem about the times my age has been guessed wrongly over the years. Usually, it has been in my favour, but not this latest incident!
Beware the grey-haired granny
First of all, I need to say that this is not a boast
People think I’m younger and that’s been said the most
I have been blessed with youthful skin at least upon my face
It may be far from youthful, in every other place
At 18 I was married and looked like a child bride
At 20 years my son was born I showed him off with pride
I put my baby in his pram and took him for a walk
As I passed people in the street, I felt that they would talk
About the teenage Mum that had just walked on by
I made sure I would flash my ring, I really don’t know why
As teenagers, we’re often told we are not old enough
To get to do a lot of things we felt that was too tough
When at the pub one night I really was too young
Was asked if I had voted, I should have bit my tongue
With music blaring in my ear, I shouted much too loud
“I didn’t vote, I’m much too young,” thank goodness for the crowd
I looked around and luckily the bouncer did not hear
Or I would soon be banned and no more drinking beer
For many years, it was a pest when trying to buy booze
If I did not have my ID the shops would just refuse
When I became a Nanna when many years had passed
If I told someone I just met, they often were aghast
“Why, you don’t look old enough to be somebody’s gran”
It always made me feel real good to say “Well, yes I am”
My hair was darker in my youth, but later had to dye it
But I decided to go grey, at least I thought I’d try it
It was quite liberating, at least it was at first
But then, some time later, the bubble was to burst
I was at the supermarket, getting some supplies
What happened next, it came as a surprise
I was stopped beside my car and searching for my keys
A younger man came up and said, “Can I help with these?”
He picked up all my bags, put them in the car for me
I wondered when he saw me, what did he then see?
It must have been the white hair that made me seem so old
But he was such a nice young man, I couldn’t really scold
I didn’t say, “Hey look here you. I can handle my own stuff”
I would seem ungrateful to respond to him so gruff
I notice too when I am out and I come to a door
They get held open for me, much more than before
So maybe going grey, it may then have it’s perks
If people are more courteous, then I say greyness works
So being grey, can be quite nice and gain me more respect
But greyness brought me something that I did not expect
In hospital I was visiting my uncle was unwell
My cousin too was there, now here’s a tale to tell
A nursing aid was stationed to watch my uncle jeff
A comment then was made to me, I glad my unc’s quite deaf
We had a little chat and then towards the end
He turned to me and said ‘’your husband’s on the mend!”
“Excuse me” I said grumpily “how old do I look matey?”
“I am his niece, not his wife, do I look like I am eighty?”
On hearing this my darling cuz, the right pain in the bum
She had the cheek, to back him up and then she called me Mum
So, all my life there’s many folk have guessed my age quite wrongly
But I preferred those younger years, yes I preferred them strongly
For no-one minds at all, when they reach middle age
If they are thought much younger when they’re at that stage
So, when the aid had wrongly guessed I was my uncle’s wife
The cheeky little bastard he really risked his life
For we don’t like that others can get our age so wrong
I yearn for days of younger times we now do not belong
So, if you want to get along, be clever, yes be canny
Don’t risk the ire of one like me, beware the grey-haired granny
Here's the poem on Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7iyGpKzwweqkDFeqK5Mgbn?si=6rTflSucTxCfXrwIOlfUyQ
My journey with Parkinsons 