“Why do you drink alone?’
My date asked me this question over a few beers at City Times Square a month ago.
Before I go into it, here’s a quick rundown of the place.
City Times Square is a two-story building 15 minutes drive from my home. It is my favorite Saturday-evening hangout because it transforms into a hub of excitement after sundown.
How?
Because every square inch of the Square is full of things people crave at the end of a hectic week, i.e., coffee shops, restaurants, resto-bars, a disco, a karaoke bar, and just about anything that spells fun and excitement.
The choice of food is international, i.e. Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Indian, and, of course, the ever-present Filipino cuisine which is a mishmash of everything edible.
Needless to say, the crowd is just as varied. Sipping coffee at Dunkin Donuts is like sitting in the lobby of the United Nations Building – peoples from different parts of the world pass by in a blur.
And it is in this setting my 40-yr-old date asked why I drink alone.
I said, “Look around. Can you see another 69-yr-old guy having a beer with a lovely woman like you at this time of the night?
I drink alone because guys my age are either dead, sickly, or contented to watch the NBA games or the latest news on TV.”
Not me…
Drinking alone, to most people is weird; lackluster. It is devoid of the fun alcohol draws out from even the meekest of men.
But drinking alone is my idea of fun. I find it liberating. It frees me from the drudgery of boring people and I can “find” myself. Without the noise of a crowd allows me to update my bucket list.
You are dead even as you live:
When people get to this age, thoughts of death flutter in their minds; they become anxious about the curtain falling down on them anytime, and there is no encore.
But to dwell on this is stressful. It’s like being on the edge all the time.
That’s not all…
Thinking about negative things make your body react negatively. It makes you lose enthusiasm, affects your diet, your sleep, and many other things that will rot your mind and body.
In short, you are already dead even as you live.
Not me. I want to go with my boots on; to live life as I have never lived before. I want people to say, “He died a happy man. Having done everything, missing nothing.”
And you can do it. You can rev up your life no matter how old you are. Nobody’s going to stop you from doing things younger people do – provided you won’t act and look like a jerk or a spoiled brat.
Behavior and action:
I came across this on Quora: “Why do people at age 65 and above want to act younger when their life is already 85% over?”
And why not? Whoever said that you cannot do things younger people do?
Never let age be a hindrance to your happiness. Do whatever it is you want while you can. Don’t breathe your last with much regret for having missed a lot of things.
But do behave according to the norms of an educated and civilized society.
I can drink to my delight, provided I won’t let alcohol take over my sense of propriety. Being old carries with it some responsibilities, like being a paradigm of good behavior.
My daughter doesn’t mind my solo long drives or overnight stays on remote islands or date women 30 years younger because she knows I know how to behave my age.
Yes, you can be as retro as you like, provided you don’t behave like a retrograde.
Please spread the message by sharing it with other oldies.
~oOo~
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