The Old Men's Breakfast


 I'll be honest.  Turning 63 last month was a sobering experience.  I have had several of "difficult" birthdays over the years, and not necessarily traditional age landmarks.  I handled 50 just fine.  49 was another matter.  I handled 60 okay.  63 was a bit much. 
I have joked about senior night at the Perkins.  We go every Tuesday.  I attended an event at the symphony over Valentine's day.  It was a wonderful event but the crowd was "older" which made me feel uncomfortable.  The State of Ohio is pushing legislation requiring financial advisors to report suspected "elder" abuse for clients, financial or otherwise, over the age of 60.  Sixty...really?  I have always made fun of mall walkers as I have walked at the mall myself feeling smug that I am not one of them.  Last time I walked I realized that I am one of them.
 
Which leads me to the mall walker corollary: the old men's breakfast.  You know....walk at the mall and then head to the Yankee Kitchen for a tasty breakfast at senior reasonable prices.   Over the past few months I started attending one of those breakfasts.  It's not actually an old men's breakfast.  I belong to an organization that has a men's breakfast the third Saturday of every month.  In fairness to these great guys, not all of them are old.  That is a relative term.  There are several that appear to be in their late 40's and 50's.  But there are plenty who are my age and older.  As I sat there last Saturday I said to myself...self...you are officially one of them!!!!

And you know what?  I am glad to be there.  Men's breakfasts are unique.  Things always look better in the morning so folks are in a fairly good mood.  My friends are relatively low key.  We catch up on our jobs or families or church.  We talk about our various projects and offer helpful tips to each other such as who to hire to get a household repair done at a reasonable price or where to eat when going on vacation.   There is some discussion as to whatever ails us, but mostly that talk is at a minimum except if a new procedure makes sense for us to know about and where to go to get it if needed.
We also solve the problems of the world.  These guys tend to be a conservative bunch expressing common sense observations based on a life experience that is apparently disappearing from our nation's value system at a rapid pace.    There is a certain comfort level being with folks who have the same world view as yourself.

I have to admit...I look forward to these breakfasts.  We get to the restaurant at 8:30 and are out by 9:30 as all of us still have a lot stuff we have to do.  Be it kids or grandkids, they still keep us busy and concerned.  Yard work, travel, sports, or in my case politics....our activities run the gambit no matter what age we happen to be. 
So next time I see a bunch of guys sitting around the food court or coffee court at the mall talking and having a good time, I will be less critical and maybe a little envious.  Guys talking with guys is a good thing  whether it was at Andy Kapp's Bar at Ohio State in 1971 or the Hub in downtown Youngstown in 1985, or Bob Evan's - Boardman 2013.  The more things change, the more they stay the same.

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