Old Geezers

Awhile back we talked about euphemisms or substitutes for the term “senior”. One that was left out suits only the male species but let’s include it now. It’s the expression Old Geezer. I remember when that expression was in vogue but perhaps it has faded somewhat today. Maybe it’s time to remember.

This piece found its way into my computer but I have no idea today who it came from. Anyway, I did put it into moth balls and here is the gist of the notation:

“Old Geezers” (slang for old men) are easy to spot: At sporting events, during the playing of the National Anthem, Old Geezers hold their caps over their hearts and sing without embarrassment. They know the worlds and believe in them. Old Geezers remember World War I, the Depression, World War II, Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, Normandy and Hitler. They remember the Atomic Age, the Korean War, the Cold War, the Jet Age and the Moon Landing, not to mention Vietnam (Only the real Old Geezers remember World War I.

If you bump into an old Geezer on the sidewalk, he will apologize. If you pass an Old Geezer on the street, he will non or tip his hat to a lady. Old Geezers trust strangers and are courtly to women. Old Geezers hold the door for the next person and always, when walking, make certain the lady is on the inside for protection.

Old Geezers get embarrassed if someone curses in front of women and children and they don’t like any filth on TV or in movies. Old Geezers have moral courage. They seldom brag unless it’s about their grandchildren…This country needs Old Geezers with their decent values. We need them now more than ever. Thank God for Old Geezers.

Years ago I might not have appreciated being called an Old Geezer but not because I was too young. Today, if this is what an Old Geezer is, I might find it an honor to be called one.

Unfortunately, Old Geezers also have other reputations, some that are not quite as honorable. Old Geezers were sometimes considered dirty old men whose minds were in the gutter. Old Geezers were also elderly men who had lost their vim and vigor, languish-ing in self-pity, bewailing the infirmities thrust upon them because of their antiquity. Others labeled Old Geezers and pompous, arrogant, know–it-all authorities who expressed opinions without rhyme or reason. And often without being asked.

Growing old for some isn’t easy, nor pleasant. As it has been said more than once, old age isn’t for sissies. So, if we are going to be called Old Geezers, let’s aim for the better kind. Living is infinitely better that way.