Once I had just parked my Jeep downtown and was putting money in the meter and a frail old lady that could've been in her eighties was parking a few spots ahead of me. She had the only spot under a tree. Prime parking on a hot summer day in Florida to keep her car cool until she returns. She did a fine job of parallel parking and as I walked by as she was getting out I said " You've got it made in the shade " and without skipping a beat she pointed her finger at me and said " and you're livin' large ". I got that same feeling you had today
When I was young I was never mean to the elderly but they certainly tried my patience. Then as I watched my Father grow old and the changes he went through I fully understood aging. Now I have the utmost respect for the elderly. I look at old age as a badge of honor given to someone that has faced all that life has presented them and have successfully made it out the other side.