Old ladies

I’m sitting on this tour bus on a road trip throughout Ireland and sitting right across the aisle is an elderly lady who I swear looks older than my 88-year-old mother. But here she was travelling with three of her friends, all of whom seem to be above 75.

I didn’t initially have a good impression of them. They caused a small ruckus on the bus on the second day. The seat rotation had already been thoroughly explained on the first day. But as these four ladies boarded the bus, they couldn’t seem to figure out where to sit, holding up the rest of the passengers waiting to board.

I quickly dismissed these ladies as foggy, old women.

As the days passed, however, I began to see these women in different light. Despite their advanced age, they were quite independent— going off on their own during the tour stops. And as soon as they boarded the bus again after each stop, they would eagerly show each other photos they had taken on their cameras and smartphones. They would giggle and laugh and talk excitedly like schoolgirls on a school trip.

I loved the fact that they were enjoying life even at their advanced age. I loved the fact that they had not lost their sense of adventure, that they knew how to have fun but most of all, that they remained amazingly independent.

As the tour bus passed through the county of Clare and into the town of Lisdoonvarna, the tour director announced that the world-famous Matchmaking Festival was ongoing.

I suddenly hear the lady beside me— the one who, I swear, looks older than my 88-year-old mother excitedly say, “Yes, let’s join the festival. I want to find my match!” The other elderly ladies chimed in. And they weren’t joking.

I was floored. These women had more self- confidence than I ever had in my entire life. They wore their hearts on their sleeves, their purple hats on their heads and inspired me more than anyone had ever inspired me in my life.

Suddenly, I wanted to live longer. Better. Braver. In fact, if I could be like them, I wanted to live forever.

On the way to the hotel, our guide announced we’d be stopping by the pub. Those who wanted to go to the pub were asked to alight from the bus while those who wanted to go straight to the hotel to rest were asked to stay on the bus.

I was tired, sleepy and teetotal so I stayed on the bus. The four elderly ladies, however, eagerly alighted from the bus. I suddenly felt lame, boring and miserably uninspiring.

I was so wrong. They weren’t foggy, old women. They were fun, fearless women. Their minds were sharp. Their hearts were open. And they knew how to party. In a complete turnaround, I became their biggest fans.

I know that God must have put these women on the bus with me for a reason. Perhaps, I shouldn’t write myself off too soon.

I was wrong. They weren’t foggy, old women. They were fun, fearless women.