Darby and Joan from an old English painting, artist unknown.
At my stage in life it's really, really hard to surprise me with how people behave and act.
We are veering into normalcy here with regard to Covid. Most are lined up for our second jab if we don't already have it and visits and drop-ins by friends are re-starting.
A friend dropped in yesterday for coffee. She followed me into the building about a year after I moved in.
She's more social than I am, much to her grief now, as she has been taken advantage of and is really angry with herself. I had said to her to be careful when she moved in. A dear friend of mine who had lived in the building for yonks and who had introduced me to the possibility of my getting on the waiting list here had put a word in my ear about getting close to anyone here when I eventually moved in.
I don't need much warning of such things as I am a gregarious loner by nature and have different criteria for selecting friends which usually don't involve the coincidence of geographical proximity. I am useless at small talk and it abounds in this building. So I have kept my polite distance.
So I mentioned to Terry (not her real name) that I had noticed a remarkable thinning of the ranks when I traversed the community rooms and the halls with some apartments absent their usual festoons of art and décor around their entrances.
"Oh, there's quite a few have moved out," she said, "I suppose you don't know."
"Know what?" I responded, concerned as to possible infestations of rats or plumbing outbursts.
"Silver Seniors."
"Holy Mother of God, what?"
"Covid has sent so many here on the online hunt for a partner - and many have been successful, they're leaving in hordes with the new fellahs!"
I'm still flabbergasted, still laughing. Still amazed at all these white haired older women suddenly partnering up and leaving their independence.
Carpe diem indeed.
