Have you ever wondered what to say to those individuals you come across every now and then who ask your opinion on how they can “Find themselves!”
I mean, come on, who are we to ask that question of. Most of us when we retire lose our identity within 24 hours of being retired. Besides that, being of the age I am at the present time – not only has my identity been lost for 22 plus years now, most recently I lost my house key ….. (not really, I just forgot to put it in my pants pocket before leaving the house). Fact is that the car key was on the same ring as the house key so I couldn’t even get in the car to go anyplace….but I digress!
I cannot even remember who I might have identified myself with back when we first got married. Ozzie and Harriet – not really! Were I a bit bigger both in height and width, perhaps I could associate myself with Ralph Kramden of The Honeymooners but then I truthfully cannot see myself saying to Dolly (my wife – given name Gladys) – “You’re going to the moon!” Dolly! Although truth be told, I think Dolly would have no problem repeating the lines Alice used to say to Ralph when she said: “Ahhh, shaddap!” And for those of you reading this that know us, can you really imagine me saying to Dolly: “One of these days, POW!!! Right in the kisser!” “BANG, ZOOM!” Nope, after 55 plus years of marriage and three children later, my standards would be more like picturing myself as Dagwood of Blondie and Dagwood!
Thinking back to my working years, I cannot truly remember ever attending an event associated with my work where someone would come up to us and say to Dolly: “Oh, you’re Irwin’s wife.” But, I can remember an occasion where I attended one of her school events (she worked for the school board and a truly emancipated woman) where when I entered the room, her boss looked at me, shook my hand saying: “Oh, you’re Mr. Gladys” For that evening I was ‘Mr. Gladys’. For the longest time after that, every now and then when I was sort of discombobulated, I found myself whispering silently: “I need to find myself!”
Musings by an Octogenarian 
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Thank you. I visited your site and enjoyed several of your posts. My phone wouldn’t allow me to ‘Like’ the posts I read at your site so I’ll try again next time I am on my computer.
Its ok dear… I loved that you visited… Thank you….. ☺
You always put such a funny spin on everything.
Finding ourself, means we are lost. Though it sounds crazy to say i need to find myself, it is because our identity has always been attached to a role and once the role is gone, we think…
Thanks. I find that with all the negative happenings in the world today, people need to read something funny or wild and crazy every so often too. It’s what, in my humble opinion, keeps us from going insane. Thanks for reading my goofiness!
First, congratulations on 56 years of marriage! Sometimes I marvel we’ve made it to 35 without killing each other 😏
Now of course you know I shall always think of you as Mr Gladys 😆
You are so bad! 🙂
😁
Trying to find myself now that I’m newly retired, Irwin. But I don’t miss that working identity at all which is a nice surprise. My grandsons love to play Hide and Seek, and perhaps I can do that with my new identity.
Sounds like a plan, Molly! 🙂
Super congrats on 56 years of togetherness. Extra snuggly hug to the Mrs. and you. As for “finding yourself”, a shortcut I discovered long ago was, the mirror. Every time I looked, I was there! Comforting! Hugz and thanx for sharing your humor
Thanks for the input.
You’re welcome. (I forgot to mention, the mirror idea was in humor.)
I enjoyed your walk down memory lane with a nod to TV shows I remember, especially The Honeymooners. And “All in the Family” – those were the days!
Thank you for the choice story of being referred to as Mr. Gladys. 🙂
Yes, keep on writing your memories, Irwin!
“Finding ourselves” was quite the thing in the 60s, as I recall. Probably not the best turn of a phrase, in hindsight. But “knowing ourselves,” as Socrates himself observed, is a valuable goal. The older I get the more aware I become that I work best with multiple identities. I love to be “writer” but for part of each day I become “person who needs to get up and move in order to stay limber.” I’m wife, daughter, and many others. When one ends, another slips quickly in to fill the vacuum. I am sad, but I am not lost.
The Honeymooners, oh my. It was not so long ago those kind of quotes brought laughs. Thank goodness we’ve seen the light.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane and Happy Anniversary.
Hi Irwin! My husband gets called by my last name as well. Great post. Hope you are well!
Congrats on 56 yrs of marriage, Irwin. I love your sense of humor and enjoyed the bit about the TV shows from the past. Thank you for following ThusNSuch.
Thanks – love what you did with your Word Press Site – I haven’t gotten that sophisticated yet or perhaps I should say “as knowledgeable” as I probably should be when it comes to designing my site. By the way, as a matter of information, I am a long-time retired Property and Casualty Underwriter as well. Small world, isn’t it?