Changes - Let the Old Man In: Roger Vaughan

Let the Old Man In

by Roger Vaughan

I used to like Clint Eastwood movies. I thought the spaghetti westerns were wonderfully campy and entertaining. And the Dirty Harry films were rough, and tough, as this rugged, cool detective ~dapper in tweed sport jackets and packing a .357 Magnum ~ challenged the system in his dogged pursuit of bad guys. Who can forget the poignant one-liners: “A man’s gotta know his limitations” or “Go ahead, make my day” or (the best one) “You’ve gotta ask yourself a question ~ do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?” Strong stuff. I even named a dog after Clint.

Eastwood has made more than 60 films. He’s written songs for many of them. An aspiring piano player, he did a rather awkward film about various jazz keyboard artists, including Dave Brubeck, the great one. While aging hasn’t

Let the Old Man In there was his inane speech to the empty chair at the Republican Naseemed to slow down his produc- tional Convention in 2012. Even tion, it has cast a rather grim, the- Clint was later embarrassed about matic shadow on things. A couple that misguided moment. And in films, namely Gran Torino and 2016, in an interview with Esquire The Mule, in which he type-cast magazine, he said he thought Donhimself as an older man, revealed ald Trump “was on to something.” a cranky, embittered side of East- Now Eastwood has committed wood we hadn’t seen before. Then another serious blunder. Recently, in response to an interviewer’s question about how, at the age of 88, he keeps being so productive, he said: “I just get up every morning and go out. And I don’t let the old man in.” The line prompted Toby Keith to write a song about it. Eastwood liked the song so much he used it at the end of The Mule. Willie Nelson has covered it. Willie should have known better. First of all, Keith’s song is a dud. More importantly, it’s promoting a bad message. Not letting the old man in is a terrible mistake. It’s Wooden Slingshot - Foam Balls! that 27-year-old who darts around inside our aging heads that can get 410-822-7716 us in trouble if he’s left unchecked. 7 S. Washington St., Easton A terrific song by Little Feat (“Old CrackerjacksToys.com Folks Boogie”) gives us this won-

QUALITY STROKES PAINTING

Interior & Exterior · Commercial & Residential

Michael Marshall 508 August Street Easton, MD Free Estimates

M.H.I.C. #35075 Phone: 410-714-8345 Fax: 410-822-4795 qstroke@yahoo.com

derful cautionary line: “when your mind makes a promise that your body can’t fill.” The fact is, that 27-year-old is always trying to lure us into making face plants with ridiculous notions like how it could be great fun to go skiing again, or, why not get that dirt bike? If, like Eastwood, you have vowed to lock out the old man, you are in danger ~ physically and mentally.

Think of it this way: the old man represents a solid degree of reality, your personal reality. He knows what you can do, and what you should not try doing. He has lots of experience, a ton of good sense, a decent memory (so far) and, best of all, no matter his pedigree, he has nothing left to prove. All things considered, he is wisdom incarnate.

Think of what it would cost to hire such a valuable person as an advisor, if you could find one. Think about what he knows about people, about children, about dealing with in-laws and cranky aunts and uncles, about avoiding trouble and possibly arrest. Consider his knowledge of essentials like cars, food, music and art. Consider how his judgment of people, products, pets and all sorts of deals has been polished by the years. Think about what he knows about women! Best of all, consider what he knows about you. You might still be able to fool some of the people some of the time, but you aren’t going to

fool the old man for a second.

His advice and counsel can save you time, money, injury and a ton of embarrassment. And, while even good friends might avoid posing the tough questions, the old man jumps right in, if you let him.

It was the old man who convinced me to stop racing offshore. I fought it, of course. His considered opinion was I would probably do okay if everything went smoothly. But what if bad weather was encountered (he remembered Fastnet ’79) and all hands were needed to corral a torn heads’l (he remembered Fazisi in the Roaring 40s) ~ how would I do on the slippery foredeck in a downpour? Would I weaken the crew by not being able to pull my own weight? The answer was obvious.

And it was the old man who got me to wear suspenders. That was a struggle. I have never been a suspender guy any more than I would wear bowler hats or use a pince nez. I viewed suspenders as period pieces, the stuff of old movies,

worn by fat guys or card sharps. But he kept on, and his logic simply wore me down. All day long I was hiking my pants up, and it was driving me crazy. He kept saying, get some damn suspenders. So I did, and what a relief it is not to keep hiking up my pants.

It was the old man who prompted me to get rid of the big copper fire extinguisher I was going to make into a lamp someday, and to throw out the torn lamp shades I’d been saving, thinking I could learn how to re-wrap them. He also had a hand in me getting off CocaCola, an addiction I’d nourished for many years. “High fructose

corn syrup,” I’d hear him grumbling over and over. And he had the nerve to suggest that Coke had something to do with the need for suspenders. I did consider locking him out at that point, but one denies the truth at one’s peril, especially when it’s coming from such a reliable source.

As with any other influence, you can’t let the old man take over. To give Eastwood his due, let’s assume he was cautioning us seniors against using the old man as an excuse, because that’s all too easy to have happen. The path of least resistance never looks more appealing than when you start hitting those higher numbers; than when your daily energy ration has been reduced; and when it takes major eff ort to tackle even the smaller projects. That’s when you need to consult all the parties. Listen to that 27-year-old for inspiration, check in with the old man regarding health, safety and common sense, and decide “I can do this,” or not.

19 Goldsborough St. · 443.746.3095 www.curlicuethestore.com

Any quarterback will tell you that staying productive in the fourth quarter is a balancing act. There are lots of things to be considered: one’s fatigue level, how you slept last night, the condition of the playing field, the weather, the onset of old injuries and the response of others who might be involved. When undecided, both the 27-year-old and the old man will agree on one thing: having a brief nap is a good place to start.

Roger Vaughan has lived, worked and sailed in Oxford since 1980.

Renovations, Remodeling & Additions Quality Craftsmanship & Attention to Detail Prompt Personal Service Complete Residential Architectural Design Services Maryland Home Improvement Lic. #74140 410-829-5171 · www.coastaldesignbuild.net