Sunday, May 23, 2010

How to love a grumpy old man!



Sing and you'll be happy today. Press along to the goal. Trust in him who leadeth the way, he is keepin your soul. Let the world know where you belong, Look to Jesus and pray. live by faith and sing it my friend, sing and be happy today.

That’s an old song my Dad and I used to sing. He never was a Grumpy Old Man. Even towards the end when most people would have been, my dad always had a positive attitude and a big “hi-dy” and a hug. I’m not saying that grumpy old men aren’t lovable. I think they are!

Mom loves that movie “Grumpy Old Men”. They recently moved two of our favorite grumpy old men to another wing of the Wesleyan. We miss them and their grumpy antics. They were often so entertaining. Why they don’t make a movie called “Grumpy Old Women”. Women are grumpy for some excuse or other for their whole life. We have PMS when we are young , we get post partum depression after we have a baby and later in life, we get menopause. There IS actually a medical term for “Grumpy Old Men” it’s called “ SLOH, a testosterone decline that has been clinically documented and significantly affects quality of life. In less medical terms, being an old man takes away your macho!

My little long haired dachshund Oscar loves old folks. Most the residents where Mom lives love me to bring Oscar. They oooohh and aaahhh and want to hold him the same as if you just brought them their first grandchild! It’s funny because they even compete for his attention and beaming they will let him lick them all over their smiley old wrinkly faces. One day, I brought Oscar down the hall and this grumpy old man got very angry! “Get that blankety blankety blank dog outa here!” I replied nicely, “He’s allowed to be here in the hall, just not in the dining area.” He spitted back, “I don’t give a damn! Get that blankey blankey blank dog out of here! ” I got angry then and picked up my little Oscar affectionately, gripping him under my arm, I leaned down to answer him right in the eye, saying calmly and firmly “well I don’t give a damn either! Now listen to me you old  grump! I don’t work here and I don’t have to put up with you!” Then I saw it! That little mischievous look hiding there somewhere underneath in his cloudy grumpy eyes and his old pouting  mouth curled up a little to one side! He was enjoying this!
Laughing at how he got a rise out of me later, I realized that I love that old grumpy man! I really do, he cracks me up! All I needed to do was see the real man, the funny interesting one underneath! We have gotten along great ever since! Mom and I miss him too. Mom says “I really hate it when he takes the Lords name in vain but I still miss that old guy!”

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