10 | September | 2013 | Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss

Write a six-word story about what you think the future holds for you, and then expand on it in a post.

Photographers, artists, poets: show us SIX.

Cemetary, Solothurn

Is there a future for me?

As a golden oldie it is better to concentrate on the present. Is there a future for me? Of course; if I am one of the lucky ones I have perhaps another thirty years to go, then I will be one hundred years old approximately. Otherwise this blog will only reach another 10-20 years if I remain healthy enough to write it.

What does the future hold for all of us? Perhaps I will be struck by a bolt of lightning tomorrow when on my shopping trip. I might not even go on my shopping trip because the postman arrives at the door with a cheque and letter from a book publisher congratulating me on my book being accepted. I will have a shock, a heart attack, and my family will receive the royalties from the various prizes and rewards gained from my best seller.

There are so many possibilities. I remember the wise words of Mr. Swiss when I eventually reached retirement age. It was one of those meaningful discussions, packed with words from Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Friedrich Nietsche, or was it just Walt Disney. I found this one “I’m an idealist. I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way” which is the story of my life probably. I have been travelling since I was born but never really knew where it would lead me.

The first part was childhood when you think you know it all, but do not, The second part was marrying, putting children into the world and working; the target being that one day you have reached the pinnacle to success, done your bit and the happy hunting grounds of retirement arrive.

So what comes next? You have pension money, if you are one of the lucky ones. What do you spend it on? Perhaps some new clothes, furniture, a new car? You find the new clothes are no longer as necessary when you were a working woman. Comfort is the guiding theme. Trousers (they hide the figure that is no longer a figure), a wide t-shirt or blouse (again to hide the expanding figure) and above all a nice pair of comfortable shoes, something in the addidas/puma line of things. High heels, pointed toes – forget it, you feet expand with age as well. You even find the new furniture goes in the direction of comfort: an easy chair to lean back in with a foot rest. You might find a car a bit over the top, but you no longer need the luxury top gear sort of thing, just something to move you from A to B as walking does not seem to work so well as the years go by.

You enjoy your grandchildren, if you have any. I do not. I do not miss them, as what you have never had is not something to miss. I am perhaps happy, satisfied, not to have them planted on my door step at week-ends or on a visit where I spend time sorting out the mess when they leave. On the other hand with grandchildren life takes a different perspective. The opportunity is taken to show their photos to everyone, even on Internet, to boast that they are the best, most beautiful and of course each one is a genius in his own way. Let us leave this side of things.

Now I can tend to my hobbies. I always loved gardening: planting flowerbeds, bushes, pruning apple trees, pulling out weeds. In spring mixing new earth into the ground, fertilising but wait. What has happened? You are in the middle of weeding and find you can no longer stand up without help from Mr. Swiss. On the other hand Mr. Swiss cannot help you because he also has back problems, so let us forget gardening, there are other hobbies such as ….. photography. I love taking photos of everything and everyone, especially the little insects and flowers in the garden. Yes, we return to the garden. The best flowers and insects are always in the most difficult places to reach, that is also a no go.
If you read real books with covers and pages there should be no problem hoping that you have not contacted rheumatism in the hand joints. Then it might be better to do it all by Kindle, an electronic reading device depending on whether the brain can still keep up with the modern computer world.

There always remains housekeeping with all the modern gadgets we have today to make things easier. I hope I can still push a vacuum cleaner along, but there might be problems with hanging up washing and ironing. For that you can engage a cleaning lady if you cannot manage yourself and if you can afford it.

And so the third part of aging has arrived. Not quite a vegetable if the brain still works. Perhaps a few more visits to the doctor, the possibility of a hospital stay, there might even be an accident waiting (no problem for me – I live with accidents).

Not that the future is miserable, dismal, I take it as it comes. We all arrive at the same place eventually.

Daily Prompt: Six of One, Half a Dozen of the Other

Half a dozen or more Pingbacks