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1/
Stepped onto the Grady elevator last week. A Grady elder tipped his cap to me and nodded.
Me: “Good morning.”
Him: “Good morning, doc.”
*silence*
Him: “I like your hairdo.”
Me: *patting head* “Thanks, sir.”
Him: “I see you let them greys come on in, huh?”
*laughter*
Stepped onto the Grady elevator last week. A Grady elder tipped his cap to me and nodded.
Me: “Good morning.”
Him: “Good morning, doc.”
*silence*
Him: “I like your hairdo.”
Me: *patting head* “Thanks, sir.”
Him: “I see you let them greys come on in, huh?”
*laughter*
2/
Me: “Yeah. Went on and let ‘em do what they wanted even at the risk of looking older.”
Him: *scowls* “Older than who?”
Me: “Older than my age. . . or just older than I want to look.”
He turned his mouth downward and nodded.
Him: “Mind me asking your age?”
Me: “Yeah. Went on and let ‘em do what they wanted even at the risk of looking older.”
Him: *scowls* “Older than who?”
Me: “Older than my age. . . or just older than I want to look.”
He turned his mouth downward and nodded.
Him: “Mind me asking your age?”
3/
Me: *nervous laugh* “I would say guess but I’m scared of what you’ll say.”
Him: *squints* “Hmm. You somewhere ‘tween ‘bout . . .mmm 45, 50 or so.”
Me: “50.”
Him: *nods and shrugs* “Yeah that seem ‘bout right.”
Me: “Wow. That’s cold.”
I laughed. He did not.
Me: *nervous laugh* “I would say guess but I’m scared of what you’ll say.”
Him: *squints* “Hmm. You somewhere ‘tween ‘bout . . .mmm 45, 50 or so.”
Me: “50.”
Him: *nods and shrugs* “Yeah that seem ‘bout right.”
Me: “Wow. That’s cold.”
I laughed. He did not.
4/
Him: “What’s cold about me saying you look 50?”
*silence*
Him: “Why do that got to mean you don’t look good?”
Me: “I was going for younger.”
Him: “But why? I know it seem like everybody value youth. But not me.” *points at floor* “My wife her prettiest right now to me.”
Him: “What’s cold about me saying you look 50?”
*silence*
Him: “Why do that got to mean you don’t look good?”
Me: “I was going for younger.”
Him: “But why? I know it seem like everybody value youth. But not me.” *points at floor* “My wife her prettiest right now to me.”
5/
Me: “How old is your wife now?”
Him: “73.”
*silence*
Me: “I think the combination of grey hair and COVID pounds makes me feel like I look older than I should.”
Him: “Older than you WAS or older than you should?”
Me: *thinking*
Him: “It’s okay to look older than you was.”
Me: “How old is your wife now?”
Him: “73.”
*silence*
Me: “I think the combination of grey hair and COVID pounds makes me feel like I look older than I should.”
Him: “Older than you WAS or older than you should?”
Me: *thinking*
Him: “It’s okay to look older than you was.”
6/
Him: *eyes softening* “I say ain’t too many thangs more beautiful than a woman aging. ‘Specially when she happy.”
Me: *listening*
Him: “I know you wanted me to say you look 35. But I know what Black women look like at 50. And what they look like is GOOD.”
*laughter*
Him: *eyes softening* “I say ain’t too many thangs more beautiful than a woman aging. ‘Specially when she happy.”
Me: *listening*
Him: “I know you wanted me to say you look 35. But I know what Black women look like at 50. And what they look like is GOOD.”
*laughter*
7/
The elevator pinged open on my floor.
Me: “I like that.”
Him: “It’s true.”
I stepped toward the door and looked back. He tipped his cap once more.
Me: “Sir? I really do look 35 without the mask, though.”
*laughter*
I waved goodbye and walked off.
The elevator pinged open on my floor.
Me: “I like that.”
Him: “It’s true.”
I stepped toward the door and looked back. He tipped his cap once more.
Me: “Sir? I really do look 35 without the mask, though.”
*laughter*
I waved goodbye and walked off.
8/
His words have stayed with me all weekend.
Yup. My hair’s more grey these days. My face, a bit fuller & my eyes have more crinkles. No question—I do look older than I was.
But that’s OK. I’m a woman and I’m aging. And that’s a beautiful thing.
‘Specially when you happy.
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His words have stayed with me all weekend.
Yup. My hair’s more grey these days. My face, a bit fuller & my eyes have more crinkles. No question—I do look older than I was.
But that’s OK. I’m a woman and I’m aging. And that’s a beautiful thing.
‘Specially when you happy.
