little old men are so cute i can't even stand it

i live in an area that has a lot of 'retirees' (it's called the City of Victoria, ha ha, no, but really: there are a lot of old people in my neighbourhood).

to watch them enter the parking lot (by foot or by car) of our little local plaza is to watch the heady confluence of darwinism with the miraculous.

i'm amazed (actually.) that more of them don't bonk into each other. or just fall over.

anyway, the other afternoon i happened upon J outside of the drug store. i was going there to buy pantyhose to tie the cucumbers up with, and he was filling a prescription -- home early from the hills to my delighted surprise.

we went into the store, and while performing our tasks, noticed a little old man trying to find the brill cream. the lady pointed out that it was right in front of him, only, it turns out, he hadn't noticed it because they had changed their box. he became a little worried -- if the box was different, would the contents be the same? he asked the lady if they still had any of the old ones.

they didn't.

he mulled the new brill cream over, then tottered over to the counter and bought it with what looked like worry-tinged resolve. he counted out his bit of money.

with his little purchase in hand, he headed for the door. we followed him out of the store, where he looked around, and then walked towards a blue car.

"oh god. he's not going to drive is he? please don't let him be the driver." we whispered to ourselves.

when he walked, he lifted his feet fairly high, then put them down almost where they just were, making his progress slow.

he arrived at the blue car and stared at it for a moment, his legs still "walking" but his body not going anywhere. he looked around again, still walking on the spot, and then headed across the body of the parking lot, towards another blue car. cars slowly went around him. people with their walkers slowed to let him pass. we spied on him from behind the florist's outdoor arrangements to make sure he was alright.

he arrived at the second car, this one with a waiting driver, opened the back door, tossed in the little plastic bag containing his brill cream in the shiny new box, and then lifted and replaced, liiifted and replaced, liiiiifted and replaced, lifted... lifted... and ... got his leg in the car. then the rest of him. then they were gone.

and that was the cute little old man. and that was his Brill Cream Outing.

part of me is sad that when jay is a little old man, i won't be able to watch out for him, because i'll be a little old woman.