12/01/2011

The Funeral


The two women stood arm in arm a slight distance away from the other mourners. It was the first time they’d met, but the friends knew each other well. Over the years, they’d shared laughter and love, heartbreak and triumph, anger and dismay. They always knew they’d meet face-to-face one day. They just never thought it would be like this.

They had come to bid farewell and amen toYouth.

There are many “old sayings.” There’s a reason for that, of course. There is truth in every one of them. The appropriate homily for this sad occasion is “Youth is wasted on the young.” It would be nice if it were never true, and surely for some, it is not. But, if ever it were, it was for him.

He had it all going for him, Youth did. He was beautiful, smart, talented and oh, so sexy.  But, alas, he was young. That goes without saying, right? And if there’s not another old saying that speaks to that, there should be. Because most of the young lack a certain judgment – let’s call it wisdom, shall we? – that comes with experience. And sad to say, experience usually takes enough years to carry one beyond “young” to… someplace else.

Youth was so busy trying to figure things out, trying to decide who he was, who he wanted to be, that he never saw the years accumulating around him like falling snow. While he was posing in front of his mental mirror, all got up in a costume of poetic angst or creative indifference, his worst enemy was able to sneak up on him, unnoticed under the cover of time.  

And then one day, cackling wildly, Age struck, and Youth was vanquished.

“I really loved him,” one woman said sadly.

“Yes. Yes, I know you did.”

***

18 comments:

  1. Age disguises itself with the cloak of that sought after Experience. Too late one realizes the true nature of Experience.

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  2. I know this man....Let's hope it's not how you and I meet.

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  3. True, it's not a dress rehearsal, It's our life, the only one we'll have. Good write.

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  4. ha...nice short tale there patti...i will never grow up...never...i resist it...

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  5. Age is sneaky...no doubt about it. And poor Youth is always eventually conquered...no way around it. Unless you're Peter Pan, of course.

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  6. Hmmmmm..... I think I was at that funeral. :)

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  7. Damn sneaky time! Or is it damn us for ignorance is bliss? Nice piece.

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  8. I like that age feels ruthless and slightly crazy.

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  9. Age most definitely cackles wildly.

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  10. Brilliant. There is a bittersweet component to getting older that you have captured so well with your usual humour and skill. One of my favourite pieces of yours!

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  11. Poignant and melancholic ... nice, I enjoyed it!

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  12. Youth can hardly help himself. It is his nature to be just as he is--until he isn't. I like what you did with time here. It sneaks up on even the most prepared. It's an indulged child that will win everyone one way or the other. Youth is not to blame :).

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  13. The timetable's upside down: the journey to someplace else should be from being born old to growing young ;)

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  14. In Youth, the muffled cry of Ageʻs cackle is all around. Itʻs those darned ear buds Youth wears, you know. Canʻt hear a thing coming! Then wham! Age reaches up to yank out the buds and the cackle becomes all at once deafening. Youth is left standing there with palms up, eyes glazed wondering "Where did YOU come from so uninvited? Rude!!"

    An eye opening read, Patty. Certainly makes one stop and think, er, listen.

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  15. Hehehe... you forgot "only the good die young."

    typo: "toYouth" (second paragraph)

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