The Big Move

 There is most often The Big Move and it means for many, into something called a "home". I add the quotation marks because they aren't homes as we knew them. They are useful and beneficial places where those who don't feel confident about their needs being met in their own homes, make this choice. I am on the doorstep of a "home" and it isn't an easy decision. At this point in my life, my ninetieth year, I continue to enjoy mental acuity and good health other than a knee joint that makes every day a take-the-pain-pill. I use a cane or walker. I am often told the age-old "you don't look your age" which is kind of flattering, but rather untrue. It isn't how one looks, it's  how one feels that matters.  Mobility issues don't affect everyone at this stage, but it is an aspect that causes one to avoid getting out and about because it has layers of difficulty.  Also, dizziness to a degree comes along, too. I am an optimist but also a realist, and I go about with caution because I have witnessed the results when some of my contemporaries have misjudged their movement abilities, and have fallen. Often times, that means a fracture: hip or ankle or some other bone. It can cause unwelcome restrictions in getting about. My cane is a nuisance, but it is also a saver. The much maligned walker, likewise, is a friend. Why some elders refuse to use these wonderful tools that really do help, is beyond  me. Being old, is perfectly okay because we all do it, eventually. As an old work mate used to say in difficult times: "Oh, well now". That little phrase was her go-to for any uncomfortable situation and for her, it worked. She merely moved on past whatever was happening, and chose to leave it be. Oh, well now.