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“That’s when it was still called Kentucky Fried
Chicken.”
In 1988, Susan’s parents were alive and she was part of
the sandwich generation, looking out for her elders and
taking care of her youngsters at the same time.
“It seemed to go so fast. One day you’re trying to find
money for the tooth fairy and (trying) to keep milk in the
fridge. The house is always full for birthdays and holidays.
Next thing you know, they’re all gone. My mom died, then
my dad.”The kids went on to school and moved out.“There
was nobody around.”
There is now.
Today Susan is a grandma to five little ones, aged ten
months to six years. Another grandbaby is on the way.
Still petite, her hair short, straight and champagne
blonde, Susan is an energetic babysitter. While her comfortable
home is spick and span, there are a couple of big,
plastic bins overflowing with toys and a spot in the spare
bedroom for changing diapers.
A quick peak at the two decades between her days as
hands-on parent and boomer granny reveals a seismic shift
in reality.
The Cold War ended and the War on Terror began.
The stuff of science fiction – cloning, genetic engineering
and killer viruses – became front-page facts. The Soviet
Union was dissolved, the Berlin Wall was dismantled,
Nelson Mandela got out of jail and won the Nobel Peace
Prize.
A new millennium dawned, bright and hopeful, without
clocks stopping or the world ending. As we grew used
to cell phones, PCs and assorted techno-gadgets, we also
attempted to master today’s three Rs: Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle. Words such as green, fair trade, net, web and terror
took on new meaning as the scope of modern lingo
widened to include crackberry, 9/11, email, Facebook,
Google, YouTube, botox, eco-friendly, no worries and ’Nuf
said.
Meanwhile, Susan’s marriage ended in the mid-1990s.
She quit smoking, retrained and eventually went out to
work. Later on, one of the kids had some trouble, getting
into the wrong crowd and drugs. There was a breast cancer
scare and more loss when her ex in-laws passed away.
“For a while there, it seemed like I couldn’t breathe.”
When the kids were finally on track, things began to get
easier. She took up yoga, made some new friends, started
golfing again after 30-odd years off the links.
She discovered she enjoyed being part of the workforce.
Several years ago, at age 55, she met her new partner,
Stan*. Between them, they have five grown children
and all those wee grandkids. Once again, the house is often
full on special occasions.
Asked what’s changed most for him in the past 20
years, Stan jokes: “My hair.” As he pats his bald crown,
Susan rolls her eyes. Both of them say they have no plans,
right away, to nip, tuck or alter their physical appearance,
however popular cosmetic procedures may be.
That doesn’t mean they’re not doing their bit to stay
fit, vital and well, though. “We’re active,” Susan notes. “We
golf. We play badminton. We ski. We love to travel. And
since Stan’s (at risk) for heart disease, we try and relax and
eat well. Lots of fresh veggies and fruit. Fish. Whole wheat.
We want to be healthy. It seems a lot more important than
it did 20 years ago.”
“We’re at a good time in life,” Stan chimes in. “We can
go (places), do things. We’re loving right now.”
’Nuf said.
*Names have been changed to protect privacy.
September 2008 • 25 • Fifty-Five Plus Magazine