I have always made fun of people for doing numerous amounts of things.
But one thing in particular is having a family member who is damn near pushing 100 years old and then when they start to wind down, their family members are astonished...
“What's wrong with great gran, why isn't she getting up and sticking to her routine?”
“I can't believe that PeePaw just lays around all day, he used to be so active!”
“Well MawMaw is getting to be so stubborn and won't eat.”
“It's so depressing the way PopsPop has already picked out his burial suit and pallbearers!”
And then the day arrives when our loved ones pass and everyone is so sad. The arrangements are made and it's finally time for the homegoing ceremony and all the family members come with their family made t-shirts with a picture of Maws or Peepaws or Great Aunt Alma May and in bold ass letters the shirt reads “GONE TOO SOON” with the years of birth and death.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm only addressing the people that pass who are tripping towards a century's worth of living on this plane. There are absolutely people that pass too soon, and that is NOT who I am addressing. But regardless, yes I'm willing to admit this makes me look like an asshole. But I can't help it. Think how much a person could experience in 90+ years. 100 years ago, most people didn't own cars and the cars that were available maxed out at 20-28mph. And although I am definitely pissed that we don't have flying cars, we do now have cars that park and drive themselves. The first broadcasting channel in America began in 1928 in less than 100 years we went from nothing to live streaming anywhere and everywhere (Well unless you are in the back of a walmart, then you are screwed.)
Oh the things you will see....in 100 years.
BUT... My exception to this rule is the lovely Ms. Betty White. She passed away Dec 31st just 18 days shy of her 100th birthday. And as of yesterday this woman was still making headlines. No matter how many years we could have been afforded this angel of a woman, I'm sure she still could have continued to teach us and lead us right up to the end, even if it was an additional 100years later.
She taught me many things including
- Care for the animals and love the doggos
- Never let others judge your value based on the superficial. She was told that she was not photogenic enough to work with movie studios, thus why she worked her way thru radio.
- She was a woman in a mans world, who ended up carving out a place for herself in front of the camera and behind it. Both the Talent and the Boss.
- She bucked racial and societal norms
- She demonstrated that you are never too old to become a household name or to enjoy a good lap dance
- She proved you can grow, but still not take yourself so seriously that you grow up.
- And always remember to feed the gators
All that being said, I will be getting a GONE TOO SOON (Jan 17, 1922 – Dec 31, 2021) shirt made in her honor. Because just this once I believe it. And from one Golden Girl to another, Thank you Betty for being all our friends!
-golden
