Tabatha Deans

You’re Never Too Old

I ventured over to Taco Bell for my weekly fix of cheesy  nacho griller. It’s a delicious little concoction that involves a flour tortilla, taco meat, cheese and tortilla strips, all wrapped up and grilled to golden perfection. As I entered I noticed a table of five senior citizens, obviously having a group outing. I smiled at them and took my place in line, trying not to be annoyed that the woman in front of me was placing several orders. The door in the front of the lobby opened, and I saw another senior man walk in, followed by a young woman.

The old man headed straight toward the front of the line, and he looked at me with watery blue eyes, and with a smile declared “Yibbity, gibbety, jibbery.” Clearly he was demented. I smiled and motioned for him to take the place in front of me in line, and the young woman accompanying him thanked me. The old gentleman smiled again, and I was pretty sure I saw him wiggle his bushy, gray eyebrows up and down. It became obvious that the group of seniors were all suffering from Alzheimers or dementia, and the young women were their handlers. I listened to the gibberish being spoken by those gathered at the table, and observed the gentleman in front of me. Even though I didn’t understand any of his words, his positive demeanor and attitude let me know he was a pretty happy fellow. Good for him.

They got their food and joined the others at the table, and I ordered my griller. With treat in hand I headed toward the door. The table of elders was directly in my path, and I smiled at all of them as I approached. And I noticed a spark in the eyes of the gentleman I had met. Again, even though he said no words I could understand, it was obvious to me what he was thinking. I had seen that look before, on the faces of men both young and old. He looked me directly in the eyes and smiled, then his eyes lowered, paused, then lowered again, then paused, then slowly worked their way back up to mine. His smile grew slightly bigger, and indeed his eyebrows wiggled up and down. I had to laugh, as I had just been checked out, quite thoroughly, by an old man. Good for him. I guess you’re never too old to appreciate a thing of beauty.

February 26, 2016 - Posted by Tabatha Stewart | Uncategorized | beauty, denver, geriatric, griller, senior citizen, taco, taco bell