Happy Birthday! … I can hear my 10 year old great granddaughter’s voice but I am unable to really respond. She is such a sweet girl; I wish I could see her. It makes me sad when I want to tell her a goodnight story, but every time I speak, my words don’t quite come out the way I intended.  I keep hearing family members say that I have dementia…. Maybe I do.

At 100 years old, my hands ttrreemmbblleee when I try to type. The wrinkles are more profound, the joints ache a little more than normal. I can still smell the turkey being roasted but that’s all I will enjoy. Having zero teeth is a challenge.

Old people like to remember the good times. Every senior citizen is gifted with the acumen to reminisce about life changing experiences…

When I was a young man, I met a beautiful lady. One night, we were up late talking about our insecurities, our ambitions, our secrets. I laid on my back, my head partially elevated by two pillows. Her thigh pressed against my thighs. The rest of her body aligned perfectly with mine. Her hands were folded and rested against my chest which served as a cushion for her chin. At first, I felt vulnerable talking about really sensitive issues but I became more open as I was rewarded with a kiss for every concern that I confessed. I spoke, she listened. She spoke, I listened.

We both had an early morning, so we shared a goodnight kiss and naturally fell into the cuddle position.  I think I was in deep sleep because even though my body adjusted to her shuffle, my eyes were still closed. But then, I must have been awake, because for the first time I was able to share the three most protected words in my vocabulary: I love you.

Back in the day, we had the time of our lives. The spontaneous outings were exciting, the adventurous trips were exhilarating, the romantic dates were breath-taking.  I deeply cherish these memories but if I could try to explain why my heart continues to beat then I may just experience Christmas 2085.

1. Even though you held the chicken wrap to my mouth and instructed me to take a tiny bite, you always knew the deal.
2. How you embraced my uncomfortable situation as I prayed hard for a response from an employment opportunity.
3. The unconditional support that you provided for….

I knew it would have been too difficult to describe. I want to continue but I can feel an unfamiliar increase in my heart rate. Is there a way to neutralize the impact? … I only wanted to dwell on the positives, but it’s in my best interest to recall the shortcomings in the relationship. I need to slow down my heart rate… Do I have any regrets?

1. I should have gone to more horror movies that were released in the cinemas. It’s just that when I was a kid, Chucky scared the crap out of me.  I am sorry for not telling her the truth.
2. I should have come out of early retirement [football (soccer)], so that she could have at least seen me play one competitive game … if I could make the team.
3. I should have visited Seattle to experience snow for the first time with her. She should have been given the opportunity to throw a snowball in my head for all those corny jokes.

On July, 22, 2075 … I read an interesting feature from a world-renowned scientist who was trying to develop a time-machine.  The theory was ground breaking, the equations were accurate but this genius couldn’t include the most important component: nostalgia.  To manipulate time, you have to be in the time.

As my vision began to fade, I took out a pencil (a writing instrument that was used for centuries but became obsolete in the 2040s) from my souvenir kit and created a drawing for my lady that remained the last image I ever saw.

 Thanks for reading! Be sure to check out my other articles on the blog (to the right, under Archives).

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