Senior Scene
Midweek paper full of stuff you need and don't need

On picking up my morning paper, I suddenly realized that it was Wednesday, and the paper would mainly consist of the very large weekly clothing and food ad sections. It always weighs in at about five pounds, and I spend at least 10 minutes separating and discarding nearly half of it.

I began to wonder how there could be so many things to buy that I don't seem to need any more.

Here were the furniture ads, but no one my age buys furniture. I already have things in my home that have been in my family for generations. That includes a chair that was given as a wedding present to my great-grandmother.

Oh boy, now here's the clothing section. I already have so many things to wear. I couldn't bear to get rid of some of them. And I won't even look at the section about shoes! Like many women, shoes have always been a weakness of mine.

Maybe I'll check the plant and garden section -- no, my sun porch is already a jungle with huge rubber plants, gardenias in profusion, and so on. I won't even look.

Well, there is the grocery section... oh look, a coupon -- buy one get one free. I guess for most women that phrase will always be an eye catcher, but what do I need with two boxes of crackers? I'm not done with the last box I got 'free' and the birds are losing interest, too. It's summer, and the real stuff is out there for them.

Oh well. The Wednesday paper has always been a problem, but at least I can put it down and walk away whenever I get ready. Not like the TV, where I am forced to hear the same news sixty times a day.

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Gone are the days when the Pensacola Little Theatre Guild served demitasse at each intermission, but the PLT Guild is still continuing more than thirty years of service to community theatre.

On September 10, the guild will meet at the Seville Quarter to celebrate. The meeting and Dutch treat luncheon will take place at 10 AM. RSVP to Ann Brett by September 4 at 438-6185. Guests are more than welcome. Come join the group!

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While catching the last portion of one of Public Broadcasting's many "beg-athons' (the theme of which was that one should buy a PBS membership in order to help save the music we seniors love) I heard the last strains of a song called The Old Lamplighter. And of course... I remembered the lamplighter in my past.

Every evening at dusk, a lamplighter came around with a long pole to light the gas lamps which still graced the streets of most East Coast cities during my childhood.

Our neighborhood's lighter was a middle-aged man of Italian descent who had a friendly manner, though his speech was hard to understand. And of course, his name was Tony. We kids all gathered round him as he poked the long pole up into the fixture and made the light ignite with a very audible pop. That sound was the signal we all grew to recognize as one that meant we would all soon be called home for dinner and to bed, looking forward to another day.

It's been a long time, but I'm happy to say that I'm still able to look forward to each new day. I wonder if the older parts of some cities still have lamps that are lit each night - well, no I guess not. But I wonder too if Tony's spirit is still out there smiling, somewhere.

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A friend writes:

"I understand the Pesident suggested we all celebrate Senior Citizen Week by cheering up a senior citizen, so I decided to call on my new neighbor, an elderly retired gentleman. I baked a batch of cookies and went off to brighten this old guy's day.

"Sorry I can't invite you in," he said, "but I'm due at the Club at two. I'm playing in the semi-finals today."

"I baked you some cookies..." I said.

"Great!" he interrupted, taking the box. "Just what I need for bridge club! Thanks so much!"

I said, "Well, I'll just trot across the street and call on Granny Grady."

"Don't bother," he said. "Gran's not home. We have a date to go dancing tonight. She may be at the beauty shop. She mentioned at breakfast that she had an appointment for a tint job."

So I went home and called my mother's cousin, who's 83, but she was in the hospital - working in the gift shop. I called my aunt, who's 74, but she was on vacation in China.

I called my husband's uncle, who's 79, but I forgot, he's on his honeymoon. Now I dread old age more than ever. I just don't think I'm up to it!"

See you next week!