HELP! I’ve Fallen into Old Age and I Can’t Get Up!

Book excerpt: Myra Smith’s book about aging will tickle the funny bone of all readers, but particularly members of the Baby Boomer generation. From falls, weight loss plans, memory loss, tech issues and goofy vacation scenarios, to scary doctor visits, surgeries, and hobbies gone bad, Myra has done it all. Her husband tolerates the trail of card stickers and loss of personal fortune from her card “business”; her grown children maintain their dignity when she asks stupid questions such as, “What day of the week does Thanksgiving fall on?” and “Where is the Alamo Dome?” They save their hysteria about the fact that their mother doesn’t know she has a garage door opener, and thinks ‘cut and paste’ is only for elementary students. Her grandkids endure her ignorance about technology and her dim knowledge of fairies, Disney characters, Lego construction, magna tiles and superheroes. They graciously instruct her on as many of these topics as her small memory allows. Her friends accompany her on shopping trips, and listen to her horror stories about doctor visits and surgery. When she refers to their grandchildren by saying, “Oh she is adorable, and “He is getting so big!”, they share a knowing smile. They don’t laugh when she sports a new blouse with the XL label in full view, or shows up with lipstick smeared on her face. Myra’s book is a tell-all about getting older, but not wiser. It’s a funny romp through time that is flying by at record speed. The bad news is that sooner or later, we will all fall into old age. The good news is that we can laugh at ourselves in the process.