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| Age 88 |
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| Age 82 |
Recently Dave and I saw two of Hollywood's finest film makers in action, Clint Eastwood in "The Mule" and Robert Redford in "The Old Man & the Gun."
Both films made me sad. Both of the old men they portrayed had spent a lifetime of ignoring the people who loved them. They were lonely old men.
In "The Mule" Clint Eastwood plays a 90 year old who is a mule for Mexican drug runners. I was so grateful that the term "mule" in this case meant he carried drugs in his truck and were not personally ingested in some fashion.
Robert Redford's movie, The Old Man With a Gun" was about an old man who escapes from prison (again) and robs banks. If this character wasn't played by Redford there would be nothing likable about him.
Both films were based on true stories. But these stories are anomalies. Old guys in their 80s and 90s don't do this. They have plenty of daily age related issues to deal with. Getting their shirts buttoned is an issue. Trips to the bathroom are an issue. Remembering to take their meds is an issue. Remembering (period) is an issue.
I hope both Clint and Robert make more movies. I hope they share with us things that are important, real, and and exciting about being old men. Things like imparting the wisdom that comes only after a long life, and the ability to take disappointment in stride and show genuine vulnerability, to name a few.
Some of the old guys I know personally are caring for their spouses and other folks and routinely hanging in there when more and more friends die. And they still have a great sense of humor and manage to have fun every day. They are eighty-plus heroes and role models. Cool.
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