Charlie’s latest brings to mind so many thoughts. Take a gander, then I’ll share ‘em with you.
Look Up and Be Proud
Grandpa once told me
“Look up and be proud!
Distinguishable
From the rest of the crowd”
But each time I did,
Wouldn’t you know,
I’d stumble or trip
Over something below
A rake or a pail
Or the root of a tree
A crusty old dog
That I didn’t see
There’s always some obstacle
Down on the ground
That is the reason
I’ve always looked down
My posture, I know,
Has taken a hit
Best thing for me?
Find somewhere to sit
Where I’m out of range
Of things I could trip on
Wet, shiny floors
A fella could slip on
It’s dangerous, man,
This world underfoot!
Whether you’re in a sandal
Or hip-wader boot
But sitting right here
I’m one happy guy
In this Barkalounger
I hold my head high!
First off, poor Charlie! He misses so much looking down all the time. We go for a walk together and my head is always swiveling around, taking everything in. There’s so much beauty in the world. I don’t want to miss one bit of it.
If you’re thinking, is this a metaphor for their relationship, you betcha. Charlie isn’t what you’d call a multi-tasker. When he’s doing something, he’s all in, laser focused. It’s my job to keep my eye on the big picture and provide the color commentary.
Second, having good posture is important for me. I’m only 5’2.” I can’t afford to shrink any! I mean, how would I see over the steering wheel? I don’t want to end up like some of them tiny nuns you see from time to time. I tower over these old sisters height-wise, though they got me beat in the God department. They’re like holiness condensed.
Along with walking Cora and standing on my feet all day at the A&P, I try to fit in exercise where I can. To be honest, that’s mostly when I’m waiting for the microwave to beep. I do counter push-ups, arm exercises with cans of soup, baby squats, stretches. The best thing I’ve found for working on my posture is just standing on one foot while closing your eyes. In order to not topple over, you have to stand up straight. Once you do one foot, try it on the other. Afterwards, you’ll end up carrying that feeling of good posture around with you. It also improves your balance, so it’s a two-fer.
Lastly, pride. I come from a long line of women who like to look nice, you know? I mean, we can put our lipstick on without looking in a mirror. It’s genetic. My mom used to say, “Look good, smell good, feel good.” So true. In fact, the day she didn’t put on her makeup, I knew my mom wasn’t long for this world.
In my family we never said someone was vain. We called it being proud. You know, “Aunt Celina always looks pulled together, doesn’t she? She so proud.”
Anyhoo, if you’re out and about and see Charlie walking towards you, he probably won’t see you coming. So please, try not to startle him. That’s not good for a man of his advanced years.
That’s it for now. Catch you on the flip side!
Hear Ida Tell It: Hold Your Head High