A few friends have expressed concern at the way I've labeled myself.The Old Bag.
The words old bag tend to illicit images of someone who has grown old too soon...someone who clutches her purse and words close to her breast, who views herself as an odd fit in what today's society has become, someone who finds solace only in the comfortable surroundings of her old house.
A work friend who turned 40 around the same time as I did started it: how are ya doin today, ya old bag? And we’d laugh. It was a contradiction and we knew it. We weren’t old bags. Never would be. Women and men codgers?? who get-it know baghood is about the paradox, the humor, the eyebrow raise: you’re how old and you’re doing what?
We grow deliberately and purposefully into our bag/codger-hood. We work hard at shedding our expectations of others, at being strong mentally and physically, at expanding and challenging our brains and preconceived notions, at realizing the coincidental may not be. Yet we’re stronger in our convictions than we’ve ever been. Life makes more sense as the years behind increase.
True and joyful baghood is tough to achieve, however. There’s a degree of grace involved...not a thing to grab onto, but a characteristic to grow into. We sit on its continuum: some days we’re off the back and some days we’re in the break...most days we hope to be with the pack observing, learning, assisting, knowing that after the sprint there are other rides to be had.
- OB says get yer old self out there!
: EDIT : that pic just has a tad too much similarity to the OB's profile headshot!
8 comments:
I've told my co-workers that I intend to be the village eccentric when I retire, riding everywhere on a bicycle. They said that I'll have to make a lot more money first, otherwise, I'll merely be 'odd' as they so charitably put it. Still, I see folks from the Tulsa Bicycle Club riding in all sorts of weather, many of them retirees. When I'm that old, I still want to be active. But you don't start being active when you retire. You have to be active before that. I definitely won't be one of the fast guys, but I intend to be out there riding as long as I can!
Thanks for your updated definition of baghood - something to strive for as opposed to the dictionary definition (which I doubt I would ever be since I am not ugly, not ill-tempered and no man would ever romance me for my money unless, of course, I got my hands on some!)
Yes, TOB you have redefined the boundaries of this concept. From an OLDER bag who plans to always be out there doing something!
love it
thanks
show off
Ed. Ptelea. What they said.
X bun, oV -- it's the glasses, isn't it?
i used to have glasses like that
they are awesome
but your picture looks like there are no lenses in them
I was accused earlier today of being a curmudgeon, is that like a codger in training?
Shawn -- I think I curmudgeon mellows into codgerhood....
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