Just a Thought – Old Man Stories

I found myself in conversation with a younger person recently, and thinking of a relatable incident from my past, I began to tell a story. I was about halfway done when I noticed that my companion had a slightly glazed look, and I realized that they were bored! Feeling self-conscious, I quickly wrapped up my story and moved the conversation on. But I was disappointed as I was enjoying telling my tale. I pondered as to why I was enjoying it so much, and I recognized that by retelling something that had good memories for me, I was able to reexperience those positive feelings once again.

I admit this is no great revelation. All of us enjoy telling stories from our “glory years” so that we can reconnect to those positive feelings we had in the past. But there is a difference in sharing stories with our contemporaries and sharing stories with someone younger than ourselves. Our contemporaries may have been part of the story or at least can relate to what we experienced, whereas the younger folks may not.

I do not think of myself as old. There is no denying that, as the golfers would say, I am on the “back nine of life.” But my mental self-image is not the wrinkled man sitting in the rocking chair, and certainly not the old man rambling on, telling stories to people that don’t want to hear it. So, it was a revelation when I found myself doing exactly that; spinning a story to someone who was obviously too young to relate to what I was talking about, and clearly bored. I never saw myself as that guy. Specifically … that old guy!

But I now understand why old people like to tell stories, and do not seem to care if anyone wants to hear them or not. They are taking the opportunity to call up feelings or experiences that are pleasant. And with more time behind me than in front of me, I find myself sympathizing more with the old person talking, and less with the bored young person listening. So, my message to young people everywhere is this; be patient the next time some old fart is talking about their past! By allowing them to tell you this boring story, you are giving your elders a gift. The gift of experiencing memories that provide pleasure and good feelings, which is something that comes along less and less, as we age.

Not a sermon …. just a thought.