Mom, Time Changes And Her Car Radio

Gray-haired old ladies learn something the rest of us fail to grasp: They don’t have to live up to others’ expectations. In fact, others can ram those expectations right up their … well … you know where.

Mom’s car radio, for one thing. She wasn’t too good at things mechanical and setting the clock was one of them. So, she should worry? Why spend time fussing over it and getting all nervous? She just let it be, mentally adding an hour in the summer, reading it straight out in the winter. And your problem is . . .?

“I’m the only person who drives this car, and usually the only person in it,” she would say, “and I can make the mental adjustment for the time of year.” So she went along, happy as a lark, not caring a whit.

Someone asked her why she didn’t dye her hair. “I’m a gray-haired old lady,” she said in reply, “and I’m going to stay that way.” Again, and your problem is . . .?

I don’t know what’s worse: placing our expectations on others, or living up to others’ expectations. I guess both are unhealthy. I know from experience that when someone has an agenda, they usually feel everybody ought to share it and can get quite upset to find such is not always the case. I’ve also seen the unhappiness on the part of others who, to be polite, do what others want. We only go around once; it might as well be on our own terms.