Rally has a confession: this episode is part health advice, part accidental stand-up comedy routine — and he’s not sure which half is worse. What he is sure about? Getting older doesn’t actually make you grumpier — and a few simple tricks can keep that inner crabby codger from taking over.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Rally:
Hey beautiful people, Rally Preston here. Welcome to the Silver Beast Podcast!
So I gotta tell you… the other day I got into an argument with this grumpy old guy. I mean, what an insufferable son-of-a — hmmph. We really got into it – face to face. And you know, I don’t normally walk away from a fight…but this time – this guy – I just couldn’t take it anymore. Of course, I had to get the last word in and said something like “yeah and you’re ugly too!” And here’s what happened next – I calmly stepped away from my bathroom mirror, turned off the light, and left. I don’t even remember if I flushed the toilet – but I wasn’t going back in there to check. No way.
That grumpy old man encounter reminded me of that old Pogo comic strip, the one where he says: “We have met the enemy, and he is the man in the mirror.” Or maybe Michael Jackson said that, I’m not sure.
But anyway, point is – we can be our own worst enemy when we’re a bit older and feeling kind of grumpy.
Now we can’t do much about the old part – well, Botox and fillers, and a really good moisturizer can help. But now the grumpy part, that I feel is something we can fix. Okay, so how?
Well my wife, God bless her, always says “just put on a happy face” and it will improve your mood. Well I’m pretty sure that’s not gonna work. But she just keeps saying – put on a happy face! Well one day, I decided to give it a try. So I was headed to the bank to cash a check, and as I was walking in, I put my best happy face on. Now for me, my favorite happy face is a Groucho Marx disguise – you know the one right? – The oversized horn-rimmed glasses, big nose and fuzzy mustache and eyebrows? Makes me laugh every time. Well I put it on… and the bank’s security guys were not happy I guess… they took me down so fast. Long story short, they let me walk out of the bank a free man if I promised to never come back. But, to their credit, the bank still cashed my check… yeah, I left with about 50 pounds of pennies. But considering every penny costs 4 cents to make, I think i came out ahead.
So anyway, putting on a happy face didn’t really work out. So what else?
Well instead of taking any more advice from my lovely wife, I turned to a more knowledgeable source: Google.
So the first thing I discovered is there’s way too much information on the internet.
The second thing I found out was older adults are not grumpier than younger adults – did you know that? Seriously, older adults are more emotionally balanced.
I mean, our bodies probably ache a little more than those young whippersnappers, and we’ve put up with a lot of nonsense and drama for umpteen decades, and the world keeps changing on us every day with something new, and still…and still… we’re the ones who are more emotionally balanced???
Yeah, that’s what the science says. Well, color my mood ring blue!
So here’s what’s happening according to the studies. When an older person shows signs of irritability, people automatically assume it’s due to our advanced years. Well how dare they?
On the other hand, when a younger person gets a little prickly, well that’s a whole different thing. That’s the result of – and I’m quoting from one study here – “situational factors” impacting that young person. Awww…poor thing. Yeah, those “situational factors” will do a real number on you every time.
So, with that in mind, I know most of us – no matter what our age – can still turn into Oscar the Grouch without a whole lot of provocation.
So to be helpful, should you, my fellow Silver Beasties, ever find yourself in that very rare situation when you’re fighting the grumps, I found three little strategies that might keep you from turning into a crabby codger.
So first strategy…when you start feeling a case of crusty contankerousness coming on – ask yourself, will what you’re about to get all bent out of shape about – matter in a week? Tomorrow? Twenty minutes from now? In most cases I bet, probably not. So, holster your hostilities there Yosemite Sam and just relax.
Alright, grumpy strategy number two. Ask yourself is there anything I can actually do about whatever it is annoying me right this second? Probably not. I was in a long, slow-moving line at Starbucks the other day. Sure, I could’ve left and made my own coffee at home, but I just shrugged and waited semi-patiently in line. I eventually got my coffee, not a big deal in the scheme of things.
And the last strategy to counter a case of the grumpies: Take a deep breath, hold it for a couple of seconds, and slowly release it. Breathe, hold, breathe out, repeat. You know the drill right. This is practically guaranteed to get you to relax and unwind – and just chill the heck out in the moment.
So there you go. Three simple strategies to not slip into, as it turns out, the very rare grumpy old man syndrome.
And look, you can avoid the grumps in general by making an effort to stay engaged, stay curious, and stay connected every day of your life. Just let those minor annoyances slide off like butter on a hot biscuit, and you won’t be so bothered by life’s little ups and downs.
Alright, there you go, grumpiness completely cured. Well, maybe not 100 percent, but we’re all a work in progress, even us older adults, right?
Oh, and if you should encounter a younger person getting a little testy, be kind, will you? Just remember they’re dealing with “situational factors” and go ahead and give them a pass.
And last but not least, here’s your Silver Beast healthy tip of the day: And for this one, let’s keep with the grumpiness theme here. If you’re able, take walks. Even 15 minutes in the fresh air and sunshine is enough to release mood-enhancing endorphins, and of course physical exercise of any kind offers you a whole bunch of health benefits too. Try it and you’ll see. Just tell that grumpy old man to take a hike next time!
And hey, if I haven’t annoyed you too much with this episode, please come back soon. I’ve got a lot more lined up for you on the Silver Beast Podcast where we’ll explore all kinds of ways to turn our silver years into golden opportunities.
Thanks for being here, keep on trucking, and I will see you next time!