After a little over seven decades on the planet, I guess it is time to accept and appreciate my journey now as a senior citizen even as I adjust to the changes I experience in everyday events.
I had an afternoon recently where I decided to take the bus with the route 8 Downtown via Spring Garden to an appointment with a dermatologist to assess the healing of a facial lesion. She also assessed the effects of my “Cape Breton complexion” or as the doctor described it “Celtic genetic sun sensitivity” on the ageing of my face and arms. Her analysis was that the lesion had healed and the actinic cataosis, that she treated with nitrogen cryotherapy, was not a concern and pigment loss after skin damage on my arms was also non concerning. The doctor was probably 35-40 years younger than me and she was very polite and attentive. She addressed me as “Sir” and that underlined a generation or more separation from her.
The return trip on Halifax Transit started after a scan of the transit app on my phone produced a “SENIOR” label on the screen and the automated message generated reminded the passengers to kindly give up their seats for the elderly and immediately a mom instructed her approximately 10 year old son to stand and relinquish his seat. What could I do? It was going to be a short trip four blocks and across the Old (MacDonald) bridge and I was ok with standing but to recognize her kindness to their “elders” I took a seat identified for elders.
We like to think that “age is only a number” but it does seem to generate respect and acts of kindness and care. My gratitude shares space with my unplanned wrestling with being identified as a senior.
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