ART Reflexology
  • Home
    • Contact
  • About ART
  • Seminars
  • ART Registered Members
    • UK Registered Members
    • International Registered Members
  • News & Features
  • Tony's Blog
  • Shop
  • Archives

Ageing and invisibility

2/8/2015

2 Comments

 
I was once told by an older friend, that you know that you are getting old when you become invisible. I didn’t at that time grasp this idea–after all I was in the prime of my life and becoming old seemed way down the line.

However now that I am nearer my exit than entry, various examples of the idea are regularly coming home to roost which confirm there is some truth in this statement. I am regularly reminded of my position in the ageing trajectory.

In a restaurant, for example, in the past I would have commanded a prompt and efficient service, Now I sit there, completely ignored while younger people around me are served instantly.

I was so fed up about this, that only the other day, I felt like resorting to standing on a chair with a megaphone to my mouth and shouting ‘Hello, I am here,’ across the restaurant. Not that my plea could have been heard above the noise (which they call music).That is another ageism issue to talk about later.

Eventually someone came to my table and apologised for not seeing me! Now, I am not exactly small at 6ft 3inches and 210 pounds. My order was taken in a rather off-hand manner, but, thirty minutes later I was still waiting to receive my order and the time to give my next treatment was ticking ever closer. ‘Excuse me,’ I said to one of the staff, ‘any news about my order?’ She rushed off to the kitchen, only to come back to say that they forgotten to process my order. This is restaurant speak, ‘I forgot to place your order’. I left hungry, to treat my next patient.


  Another observation on the same theme concerns of being too visible. These days, when I get on a bus, the driver often lowers it for easier access. This is all well and good for those who are infirm. But there I was the other day, standing at the bus stop, and feeling pumped up after a ninety minute heavy–duty session at the gym, only to hear the hiss of the hydraulics as the bus was lowered for me.
It doesn’t end there. There were no vacant seats left so I stood. No problem at all. At this point two people stood to offer me their seats, and, to make matters worse, they were in their later years like me! I politely declined.

The same happens on the underground and trains these days. As soon as I enter, a rush of people of all ages offer me their seats. This is all very nice and reinforces my faith in humanity, but it does nothing for my self-esteem.

I have learned from various lectures I have attended that people can detect an excess or lack of certain pheromones as we age, particularly of the opposite sex. Apparently this induces feelings of nurture.

I hope these experiences are common amongst my age group and that I am not isolated in my despair.

I hear that eating copious amounts of celery can balance the pheromone issue out, so you will have no trouble guessing the focus of my new dietary regime.


My Best Wishes
Tony Porter


 



 

2 Comments
Zoee Crowley
2/8/2015 07:11:24 pm

Time marches on with out us noticing it. Thanks for your story.

Reply
Linda link
4/8/2015 08:26:19 am

Ah yes - the invisibility cloak - if my memory serves me I first realised I was wearing mine about 15 years ago when on a shopping trip with my teenage daughter. You are not alone - it happens to everyone. :)



Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    July 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    September 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013

    Tony Porter

    Tony is a London-based reflexologist and founder of Advanced Reflexology Techniques (ART)

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Telephone

+44 (0)7768 077414

Email

tonyporter@btconnect.com