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.
Nice to see you back, Darren. Glad you facebooked it.
I heard an even worse story, from a group of very very well to do ladies, in another country. My friend visited his grandmother, met her ladies who lunch, and noticed one was very down, and quiet. He asked his grandma about her after, and she said, oh, yes, I don’t talk to her any more. She keeps inviting her, though, because of course to do otherwise would be impolite.
He asked the poor sad outcast next time why she didn’t just stay home, and she just looked hopeless, and said, what else would I do?
Madness!
That’s good to know, because I don’t want to grow up 🙂