Tempo of Aging

Over the years I have followed slow drivers, walkers and customers. For the most part they were older people who seemed to be living in slow-motion. Now that I am one of those seniors, I understand the tempo.

Getting a cup out of the cupboard is a task that must be remembered, along with the spoon, and another cup for your spouse. Then, getting those items to our computer desk for morning computer session with coffee. Forgetting any one thing requires a return trip, getting into and out of the computer chair, and so on. Time may fly by, but our actions sure don’t.

Same with getting to the car. Plan the process: get wallet, keys and mask. Grab walker and exit apartment. Roll the walker down the hall to the elevator. Down to first floor. Through the door into the garage. Trek 80 feet to our parking spot and unlock car. Stash the walker in front of the car for temporary storage or load it into the car for use on errands. Finally reach the car door.

Getting into the car is slow because it is painful. Different back muscles are used to pivot and twist into the driver’s seat. Shut door. Insert ignition bob. Turn to start engine. Wait for spouse to show up.

And wait. Wait a little more. Finally, he arrives at his passenger door. Stash his walker. Sidle back to the door. Open it. Get in, first one hand, tentatively, then a leg, then the butt, then a swivel on the seat, finally the other hand and leg appear inside the car. Settled? Yep. Still has to engage his seatbelt. But I back out the car anyway.

Check all directions for cars entering or leaving the garage. Then back up slowly to ensure I don’t sideswipe neighboring cars. Finally, change gears, push garage door thingy, and slowly approach exit.

Winding out of the garage, through the parking lot and finally to the curb where we plot our merge with passing traffic to enter the fray. Success! Now on to the stop light to really get on our way.

Once at destination, find a parking spot, twist our way into it and shut off engine. Undo seatbelt. Open door. Painfully twist the body out of the seat. Try twice, maybe three times to stand up straight and walk crookedly toward walker stashed in rear of car. Heave the tailgate up and away, reach in and start dragging the walker out of the car. Unfold it and snap it into position for use. Now reach sky high and pull the tailgate down, carefully positioning it so the automatic closer will engage the door. Success! Again!

Now we start the slow stagger into the place of business to do our business.

I’m exhausted already and remind myself that the return trip to home is an exact duplicate of what we did to leave home in the first place. I’m exhausted just thinking about it.

Now I understand why older people are slow. There’s a good reason for it all. Thinking about each step is only one part of it.

October 6, 2022

 

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