Full of questions

An elderly couple walks past me. Time has turned her hair gray and taken much of his. He walks with a limp and she’s got her arm tightly wrapped around his, the other holding a bright daisy. I’m not sure if they’re lost, looking for directions, or just on their daily walk. They’re slow walkers but they seem to be having a good time. They smile and nod to people passing them on the sidewalk.

I’m in a wondering mood today. Here’s what I want to know:

  • I wonder what advice they would have for me today. They’ve obviously experienced a thing or two in their lives. Would they tell me to eat my vegetables and mind my P’s and Q’s or would they tell me to rebel against the system and end each day with a stiff drink, the stiffer the better?
  • I wonder what secrets they would tell. Did he travel overseas and work as he spy? Or did he work his entire life as a small-town farmer always dreaming of living in the big city? Did they ever want another life? She seems to be a detail person. She takes everything in, pointing out the sign in the window. I wonder if she was an accountant or lawyer? She seems to notice more than she lets on.
  • I wonder where he got his limp. Was he paratrooper when he was a young man? Did he jump out of planes or was he in a serious car accident? Was he careless around his friends and hurt himself trying to act like superman or was he injured fighting a fire?
  • I wonder what stories they have. What challenges did they overcome? Physical? Mental? Emotional? Her, cancer? Him, his prostrate?

  • Do they have grandkids or a puppy or kitten waiting for them when they get home? What’s keeping them going? What keeps them young at heart?
  • I wonder how they have stayed together. They cling to each other like their lives depend on it. Does she complain that he never cooks for her? Does he whine that she leaves the boxes and plastic bottles at the back door to be taken out to the recycling? How have they been able to get past the big and small differences that every relationship comes across?
  • The daisy in her hand. They seem to be attentive of each other. Did he pick it for her or did she cut it for a friend in the hospital? Does she love daisies or is she allergic to them?
  • They both have smiles on their faces. I wonder what makes them hold hands so tightly so many years into their marriage? I wonder what they’re not telling? How have they been able to stay together and stay, well, I’m not sure how to put it, but how are they are able to stay so happy?

I wish I had the answers. What do you think?

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39 thoughts on “Full of questions”

  2. You’re describing virtually all of our friends, so I’ll take a shot. He’s limping, like so many of us do, because arthritis has taken over one or more of his joints and/or the small of his back. She’s holding his arm tightly to try to prevent one of them from falling, which is the kiss of death (literally) for seniors. My hope is that if they were to offer you advice it would be to live without regrets and to be kind. She’s carrying a daisy because she thinks it’s pretty and conveys the hope of spring. They’re smiling because they appreciate the fact that they’re alive, that they’re able to get out, and that, unlike so many of their friends, they still have each other. They worry for their kids and grandkids because they see this world spinning out of control.

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  3. They actually met in the old folks home and have started a torrid affair… much to the chagrin of their spouses who still live at their old home! 😂🤣

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  4. this is a lovely post. As I think about myself in this scenario, there are so many words of wisdom I could share about following your dreams, or placing your hope in Jesus, but the fact is, when you’re guide, you have the assurance of treasures beyond your comprehension. He will be with you always. He hears you. He knows you. He loves you. What more could you ask for?

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  5. I do this too! I often walk by beautiful homes and I try to imagine the lives of the people who live inside. I’m encouraged by how many people say they engage in this pastime. Whenever I walk with someone else and ask them to play along, they look at me like I’m nuts! Ha ha!

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    1. Oh, I’ve had other people (mainly my family) tell me that I’m nuts. Ha ha, I just think it’s my way of being nosy without going up to the people and being a stalker or crazy person. 🤪🤪🤪 You keep on playing the game Mamalava!

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  6. This is the kind of wondering I do in semi-crowded venues on occasion…trying to size up those in attendance. People-watching can be a fun time to pass the time when you have the time.🙂

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  8. Just yesterday I ran into a young woman who was upset about her boyfriend’s selfishness. I listened and then said that I had found one of the most important things to do, to keep a relationship together is to talk to each other. Talk! Taking turns. Talk.

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    1. Yes, there really is wonder all around us. Some doo-doo too, but you gotta look past that and look for the wonder. Hey look at me, being all philosophical and stuff. It must be education by osmosis, picking up stuff from the ethics and philosophy book/class my son is taking over the summer. Ha, ha.

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  14. I love how you wrote this, Brian, and I wonder the same when I see older couples. But one thing I’ve learned after 35 years of marriage is that communication is key. Talking, listening, being friends, and compromising. It’s working for us after 36 years of knowing each other, and just thinking about all the years, all the decades that have passed by is wild!

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  15. People watching and wondering can be so magical and it’s nice to ponder about all the possibilities. Maybe they were also spies and had a Mr and Mrs Smith thing going too! 😆😊

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