Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Is it my eyes..........

......Do they look kindly and soulful?
It can’t be anything else.
I’m 66 years old; hardly a specimen of youthful vim and vigor.
A buxom young cutie, young enough to be my granddaughter — or even great-granddaughter — is following me like a little puppy around the Exercise-Gym at the Canandaigua YMCA.
I go into the Stretching-Area; she follows me.
I head toward the Cybex® strength-training machines; she takes over the leg-press I was headed for.
I look in the mirror; I see a semi-hunched little old man, somewhat obese, with thinning silver hair.
What, pray tell, can she possibly see in me?
Or so it seems — I’m probably imagining this.
The other day she nearly ran into me.
“Excuse me!” she chirped.
Made me appreciate my wife.
No matter how cute or physically attractive the competition is, what matters is what’s between the ears.
My wife hasn’t turned into an ugly monster, as women sometimes do as they age.
That helps, but what matters is that she’s a mocker like me, and still laughs at my sickish jokes.
I’ve worked out at the Canandaigua YMCA four years or more.
During that time the Exercise-Gym was remodeled, and the YMCA itself expanded.
Three days per week every week, or at least two days — sometimes appointments interfere.
I’m one of the regulars; there are a few.
Earlier regulars disappeared.
Cutie has showed up only two days so far, and doesn’t seem too serious.
What she seemed to be doing was following me, yet not be too obvious about it.
Years ago, when I first worked at the Daily Messenger newspaper in Canandaigua, I befriended another girl much younger than me.
We got along great; but I always had the feeling she was a little depressed I was so much older than her.
—Like I would have made a good boyfriend.
Another case of my eyes doing it.
Girls (some girls) perceive I’m not a rapacious punk, hot to score a killing.
Well, I guess I’m not.
But my old rule always applies. It has all my life; a lot of really cute girls got tossed aside because of it.
What matters is what’s between the ears.
Her “excuse me” blew it.

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