May 03 2011
We Never Grow Up
Two old ladies, chatting at the DART station. Very old – well into their seventies. My eavesdropping required no covert behaviour. Whether through declining hearing in their decaying years or just a complete disregard for social ettiquette, they were loud enough to hear from about 20 feet away.
These well-to-do aul’ wans were discussing a mutual friend, one they seemed to have both known for a significant number of years. While I picked up no names, their inflexions and tones on each “he said” and “she said” made it easy to decipher the individual “he’s” and “she’s”.
At the moment I picked up on their less-than-clandestine conversation, aul’ wan A (let’s call her Ann) was saying that she had enough of “her” (the mutual friend’s) behaviour. Aul’ wan B (shall we say Barbara?) completely agreed. Ann’s annoyance grew as she spoke of the mutual friend’s recent gallivanting.
Ann: “I saw her up dancing in the Grand last Sunday. And she a married woman.”
Barbara: “Sure, she’s always been the same. Do you not remember back in nineteen sixty-something when she was with yer man? She knew then I had a thing for him and she didn’t care. Why would it be any different now?”
Ann: “She’s a hussy. It’s no way to be behave.”
Barbara: “Well, I’m having no more to do with her. I’m cutting her out.” (this is honestly what this woman said)
Ann: “What do you mean?”
Barbara: “I’m not speaking to her. I’m not even going to look at her. I’ll walk by her if I see her.”
Ann: “You’re dead right. I’m not talking to someone like that. I’ll cut her off too.”
Two elderly women behaving like bitchy teenagers – I could only smile in disbelief.
I’m beginning to think their no such thing as ‘growing up’. It’s just a phrase that adults use to make themselves feel better.
I
