Briefly: Older gentleman reminds me that ‘acting your age’ is a choice

When I saw the elderly man holding onto a walker, I thought he was just out for a walk. But then I noticed he was bent over with an electric leaf blower in one hand. He was frail and needed the walker to stand, but that wasn’t going to keep him from his work. I was in his neighborhood to show a house, so I stopped to talk. He turned out to be a bright and lively 96-year-old who’s lived in the house for decades. He’s blind in one eye, but his mind is sharp. He told me he can’t see the grass well enough anymore to cut his lawn, but he keeps his driveway cleared of leaves. “If I didn’t do it, my wife would have to,” he joked. “She’s only 74, so I’m married to a young ’un and I like to keep her happy.” This delightful gentleman was another reminder that acting the way other people think you ought to at your age is often a matter of choice.