It was a little girl ahead of her mother at Walmart. She was behind me. I was in the checkout line. I looked down and there she was. She was cute little thing.
When in doubt be polite. I tipped my fedora to her and said, "How are you today, young lady?"
Her face lit up and she replied, "Fine. How are you, old man?"
Fair enough! I had addressed her as young lady which she was and she had responded by addressing me as old man which I am.
Her mother was aghast at her little daughter addressing me an 'old man' and started to say something. I cut her off.
"Don't ruin her," I snapped. "I share a lot in common with her. She's honest because she doesn't know any better. I'm honest because I don't care anymore. That little girl is a delightful breath of fresh air."
"But I'm trying to teach her," the mother said.
"THAT is because you are stuck in the stupidity of middle age," I said. "In middle age it's important to make sure the toothpicks are the right color at your party. She's young enough not to care." I pulled out my upper plate and dropped it into my shirt pocket. "And I am too old to even need a lousy toothpick."
The older I get the more I love old age.
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