New Old Friends

I always seem to make friends with older people wherever we go. At the last place we lived, I became good friends with a senior-citizen neighbor. She was retired, but you wouldn’t know it because she was always on the move, rushing off to her various volunteer activities. We would often go to lunch or dinner together. I’m sure we looked like an odd pair - she, impeccably dressed, with a head full of white hair, and me, in jeans, with my long, brown hair. On a number of occasions, the waitresses would ask her, “Is this your granddaughter?” She would always laugh, and introduce me as her neighbor, always mentioning with pride that I served in the military. In that same place, I also volunteered briefly delivering Meals on Wheels. I couldn’t help but make friends with the homebound seniors on my route. They would greet me with a big smile each time, always eager to chat. One was over 90 years old, a frail woman with a quiet voice, who was just too cute for me to leave without giving her a hug. So, here we are in our new place, and I just joined the local Friends of the Library organization. I figured it would be a good way to meet people, and it’s a worthy cause (especially for me, since I’m crazy about books). My first meeting was earlier this week. I looked around the table and realized that I was most definitely the youngest member, maybe even by a few decades. The president of the group noticed it, too, making a point to welcome me and remarking how excited they were to have such a “young” member. During the meeting, one of the ladies was talking about the upcoming book sale they'll have near the movie theater. “Maybe people will stop by our sale, after they see a ‘picture show.’ ” When I heard the “picture show” part, I smiled. I’m happy to find my new circle of (old) friends.