Dining Out on Aches and Pains
Every day they exercise their God-given right
all of their various maladies and twinges to recite.
Over coffee in the morning and martinis after five,
they nod their heads with wonder that they are still alive.
Over pork with wine sauce, they whine about their bladders.
They complain about dizziness. They cannot ascend ladders.
Obstructions in their bowels and needed hip replacements
seem not to curb their appetites for listing such debasements.
From head to toe, they tell the rest each disease and malfunction,
discuss medicine and herbs, consider extreme unction.
They moan about their neck aches and complain about each corn.
This relation of their aches and pains amounts to senior porn!
As though proud of each new symptom, they relate them with some glee,
hoping to receive some newfound sympathy from me,
but in fact I’ve heard all of their ills time and time again,
and I think that it’s their telling that is a royal pain!!
Prompts for today are exercise, symptom, royal and rest. Here are the links:
https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2019/03/21/rdp-thursday-exercise/
https://fivedotoh.com/2019/03/21/fowc-with-fandango-symptom/
https://onedailyprompt.wordpress.com/2019/03/21/your-daily-word-prompt-royal-march-21-2019/
https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2019/03/21/rest/
lifelessons - a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown 
Great poem, Judy. I think you are right.
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Of course, now any friend who reads my blog is going to be on the lookout for any health gripes on my part!!!
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A most entertaining poem, Judy. I think you are right.
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Yes, it is an international golden oldie illness. On the other hand what else would they have to occupy themselves.
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For a lot of us, that’s pretty much what there is to talk about. Not everyone has a really glamorous old age. Sad, but true.
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i know.. and we all do it. The poem was tongue in cheek, but must admit sometimes it gets to be a bit much.
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I think you talk about plenty else but that, Marilyn.
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Oh, and I try so hard not to bore people with my aches and pains!
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Good girl. Must admit, I talk about mine, too.
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It’s hard not to do! — I do find myself complaining occasionally!
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When I found that the only things friends and I talked about was our aches and pains, I knew old age has me in it’s spell.
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I don’t think they are looking for sympathy; I think they are trying to compete, i.e. to top each other’s maladies, since there is nothing else in their lives to be competitive about.
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Or perhaps just nothing else to think and talk about?
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That too, certainly.
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It’s a sad time for the elderly, whose world closes in around them (us)!
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Nah. Not you. You are out there in the world, clear-minded, warm-hearted. I’ve never heard you complain even once.
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Thank you, Judy — I think, in part, I use my blog as a way to avoid worrying about myself!
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You have a very active and logical mind, Janet. I know you keep it busy thinking about more interesting things than contemplating your own navel. I think I try to do the same, but I slip at times.
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I do — but it’s easy to slip, too! I just don’t talk about my slips very much! It’s been tough this past year, as I’ve worked through the decision not to move — many of my struggles recently have related to dreams vs. reality, and the reasons for each. Happily, reality has won out, and I’m back to my playful but interesting life. Off to the desert now for a weekend of visiting and flower watching!
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I’ve heard the desert blooms are amazing this year.
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That depends on the person, I believe. My father, may he rest in peace, spent the last two months of his life in a wonderful facility (I was so lucky they had a spot for him!), and I had an opportunity to interact with different kinds of elderly people: those who had no other topic for conversation than their maladies and treatments, those who turned themselves off from the world awaiting the end, and those, who enthusiastically participated in every activity offered, availed themselves of the library, and never let the languages be barriers when discussing books, movies, activities, current events, etc. I’ve made a few friends there and still enjoy visiting them.
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So glad. Wish I lived nearer my sister who is in such a facility but who regrettably is one who has retreated entirely from the world.
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I am sorry to hear that, Judy. That’s hard to accept and very sad to observe, I know.
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I loved this. It took me back to when my father was still alive and he would share his medical histories with perfect strangers and I would, even at a young age wonder why.
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