My school has an extention art group which I am part of. Each term we paint a different thing, with a different topic which is set for us. Though this term, being the last it is free choice, it just has to be a christmas presant for someone. I am painting a miniture train that used to be my great- grandads when he was alive. This will be for my Dad because he likes to build model trains. On a long canvas I am painting a side-on and a front-on picture of the train.
On Friday the 19th of October we are having our schools Grandparents day. Most of the pupils will invite their grandparents. To celebrate our grandparents we put on a concert, of all the different arts that we do in school such as, band, Kapa Kaka, students writing, etc. I will be playing my French horn in the symphonic band and tenor saxophone if we have the jazz band.
I will also be playing a solo on my tenor saxophone, the song I will be playing is called, Ain’t Misbehavin’, which is a jazz song. I think that this song really suits me as I never misbehave! (cough, cough). Anyway, I am really nervous, I hate getting up in front of an audience! I get nervous in front of my class let alone 450 students and their grandparents! I don’t mind in a band but I do mind doing a solo on my lonesome!
How do you define old? Some people say that grandparents are ‘old’, but what about those people who don’t have grandchildren will they never be ‘old’?
Other people say ‘old’ are people who have reached a certain age or look a certain way.
There are even people who go by the dictionary meaning: Not new; born or made or existing a long time ago. Most people might think well what is wrong with that definition? But I inform that there is, I can contradict it, there for in my mind it is wrong! I think that the dictionary is wrong as I am then old to babies, my brother is old to me, my parents are ancient, I can’t think of a word for my grand parents let alone my GREAT grand parents!
Now I’m wondering if ‘old’ is even an adjective, since if it isn’t any of the above it mustn’t be one. “You’re as young as you feel” is a well known quote which I think can have the same meaning written with ‘old’; “you’re as ‘old’ as you feel”. I think is describing ‘old’ or ‘young’ as feeling but writing it as an adjective.
That definition to me seems right. I can not contradict it, as my great nana Barbra is over eighty and lives alone in Auckland and to me she is still seems young, more aged than I, but still not the so described ‘old’. My other great nana Thomas is about the same age and to me she is ‘old’ she has one of those deseases wgere you forget everything, and lives in an ‘old’ people’s home. There for my answer to ‘What is ‘old’’? Is a feeling, you are either young as you feel or as old’ as you feel.
When I visit my great nana Barbara, I am greeted with a wide, heart warming smile, a big hug and a kiss. Flowery dresses hang on her old, yet still able frame. I’m steered into the living room, and offered a hot or cold drink, and a scone, biscuit or loaf. No matter whether I say no or yes, a tray of baked goods and a drink are placed in front of me.
She will then sit on the green sofa next to me and inquire as to what I’ve been doing, as she curls her already curly brown hair around her index finger. Eventually when the tray of goods are gone she will coax me into playing my most recent piano pieces to her, praising me and then soon remembering about a story about one of mums cousins, who are my age.
Unfortunately my visits are few and short, us living two hours apart, but I still love her and no matter what she will always be my great Nana Barbara.
I worry about how I will know when I am ‘old’.
Whether it will be when my hair goes grey? Or will it be when my skin is wrinkled?
Will it be when I have a walking stick and wave it threateningly at the neighbourhood children?
The first time the kids come to my house on their way home from school for home made cookies, will it be then?
What about when I have my own grandchildren?
When I retire will I know then? Maybe when my family force me into a retirement home?
As soon as I start telling stories with the headings ‘back in my time……………’ might I know?
Will it be when my bones are stiff and I pass time playing cards? Will I know by a feeling in my bones?
Are we old when we reach a certain age? 50? 60? 70? 80? 90? 100?
If I am those entire things can I still be young?
What about the quote ‘You’re as young as you feel’?
Maybe the quote is right, if I forever feel I am young, forever young I shall be.
So until I experience the answer for myself, my answer to ‘how do I know when I’m old?’ is ‘if you forever feel you young, forever young you shall be’
I am from New Zealand, being so, I think we talk normally, without an accent! But I have been proved wrong as I realised a few days ago when my class had a whole lot of kids, obviously, from another country. Cos’ in some of their comments they said, ‘I love your accent!’. When I was reading those on mine and others blogs I was thinking, ‘we don’t have accents!’ but after thinking about it I realise, we do have accents to anyone else from another country, just like people from other countries have one to us! I don’t know why I hadn’t realised this before but I honestly hadn’t, so that shows how oblivious I am! Isn’t it odd how every country seems to have their own accents?
