Grownup Rules
When all of us were just mastering the art of Crayola crayon art we became extraordinarily excited when gifted with a brand new coloring book. Initially, our parents let us draw recklessly outside of the lines and we were allowed to choose colors that weren’t necessarily appropriate, such as coloring a face green or the grass pink.
Then our parents taught us the correct way to color: choosing realistic colors for the items pictured in our coloring books and by all means, making sure to color within the lines of each object. If we felt bold at the time, we might have said, “But you said you liked my green faces and you thought it grand that I expressed my creativity by coloring outside of the lines!”
“That was when you didn’t know any better, but now you do, sweetheart.”
Huh. That is when us youngsters came to the realization that grownups were allowed to change the rules.
Yes, we are.
If ever there was a time when us older folk – many of us grandparents – finally have the right to change the rules, it is now.
“Someone in their 60s and much older shouldn’t dance in front of God and everyone, it’s not presentable!”
“Wanna bet?”
“Women, you shouldn’t travel by yourself, you should go with a group, or perhaps an eligible bachelor or bachelorette!”
“Maybe I don’t want to. Maybe I like the freedom to go where I want, when I want!”
“You’re eighty-five years old, don’t you know that butter isn’t good for you?”
“Yeah, I heard conflicting reports on that years ago but you know what? Butter tastes better than margarine and you only live once and this is how I’ve chosen to live.”
“You’re a respected retired physician, why would you go back to work and do so as a courtesy clerk at a grocery store?”
“Because I like being with other people and I sincerely like to make a positive difference in each person’s life by offering them a smile and a kind word as a part of their daily shopping experience.”
The bottom line, friends, is that we aren’t required to color within the lines; we can do what we please as long as we don’t harm anyone. Coloring outside of the lines, thinking outside of the box, doing things we either were prevented from doing in our earlier years or didn’t do because of societal norms can become our new way of defining quality of life. If that means checking items off of a bucket list, grab a purple crayon and check them off. Or perhaps someone dared you to hang-glide off the cliff of a mountain so you take hang-gliding lessons and take a leap of faith. Awesome. Or maybe it’s something seemingly far less risky, such as writing a novel and getting it published. That’s what I did.
However your “rebellion” might look, go for it before it’s too late. I’m not saying you should throw all caution to the wind without counting the costs, but what I am saying is that none of us should end up on our death bed regretting the choices we didn’t make, especially those that prevented us from following our bliss.
After all, don’t you think we’ve earned the right to live a little, or a lot, in our later years?
Then our parents taught us the correct way to color: choosing realistic colors for the items pictured in our coloring books and by all means, making sure to color within the lines of each object. If we felt bold at the time, we might have said, “But you said you liked my green faces and you thought it grand that I expressed my creativity by coloring outside of the lines!”
“That was when you didn’t know any better, but now you do, sweetheart.”
Huh. That is when us youngsters came to the realization that grownups were allowed to change the rules.
Yes, we are.
If ever there was a time when us older folk – many of us grandparents – finally have the right to change the rules, it is now.
“Someone in their 60s and much older shouldn’t dance in front of God and everyone, it’s not presentable!”
“Wanna bet?”
“Women, you shouldn’t travel by yourself, you should go with a group, or perhaps an eligible bachelor or bachelorette!”
“Maybe I don’t want to. Maybe I like the freedom to go where I want, when I want!”
“You’re eighty-five years old, don’t you know that butter isn’t good for you?”
“Yeah, I heard conflicting reports on that years ago but you know what? Butter tastes better than margarine and you only live once and this is how I’ve chosen to live.”
“You’re a respected retired physician, why would you go back to work and do so as a courtesy clerk at a grocery store?”
“Because I like being with other people and I sincerely like to make a positive difference in each person’s life by offering them a smile and a kind word as a part of their daily shopping experience.”
The bottom line, friends, is that we aren’t required to color within the lines; we can do what we please as long as we don’t harm anyone. Coloring outside of the lines, thinking outside of the box, doing things we either were prevented from doing in our earlier years or didn’t do because of societal norms can become our new way of defining quality of life. If that means checking items off of a bucket list, grab a purple crayon and check them off. Or perhaps someone dared you to hang-glide off the cliff of a mountain so you take hang-gliding lessons and take a leap of faith. Awesome. Or maybe it’s something seemingly far less risky, such as writing a novel and getting it published. That’s what I did.
However your “rebellion” might look, go for it before it’s too late. I’m not saying you should throw all caution to the wind without counting the costs, but what I am saying is that none of us should end up on our death bed regretting the choices we didn’t make, especially those that prevented us from following our bliss.
After all, don’t you think we’ve earned the right to live a little, or a lot, in our later years?
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Irene Frances Olson
Author of Requiem for the status quo, a novel that celebrates and encourages family caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s or other dementia. You can find that book HERE. Ms. Olson is a member of AlzAuthors, www.alzauthors.com, a compendium of authors who have all been affected by Alzheimer's disease and other dementia. These authors share their experiences to bring knowledge, comfort and understanding to those on a similar journey. |
