Getting older is something that everyone goes through, but it’s hard to understand what it’s like before it happens to you.
But with all the struggles that come with old age, sometimes what you need to get you through is just a little good old-fashioned humor. For those who haven’t yet reached the latter portions of your lives, you can get a better understanding of what you should expect when you get older by listening to those who are already there.
While at an award ceremony for Home Instead Senior Care, an organization that promotes in-home care for seniors, comedian Mary Maxwell got on stage to share some wisdom and a lot of humor with the audience. The audience was mostly comprised of senior care experts, so not everyone could relate to her stories and anecdotes about age. But her sense of humor crossed the generation gap and had the whole crowd roaring with laughter.
She starts off her speech with a prayer that is conventional by most standards.
She shows her gratitude for being able to speak and thanks God for the dinner they are about to eat. However, the prayer quickly goes off the rails into a monologue about getting older. As soon as the crowd realizes that she’s not going to stick to a normal prayer, the guests start giggling in anticipation of what’s to come.
Mary says that one of the hardest things about being old is the fact that you don’t get to practice beforehand. She says that old age just kind of “crept up on her.” It’s not something that happens all in one day – part of getting older is dealing with new challenges that arise every day.
Though her descriptions of aging sound stressful and somewhat unpleasant, her attitude and demeanor show her audience that as long as you have a positive attitude, anything can be taken in stride.
She also discusses the changes that people’s bodies go through as they age.
She mentions the fact that you suddenly have a lot more skin than you had when you were younger, and she tries to come to terms with that fact. At one point, she even says:
“Last November, I was scared to leave the house Thanksgiving week.”
This is a reference to the so-called “turkey neck” that many older people experience as they age.
However, by maintaining her good sense of humor, it seems like Mary Maxwell is accepting the changes to her body gracefully.
After that, she mentions the fact that it gets more difficult to exercise as you age, as well. She says:
“It’s hard for old people to exercise. I did try to jog once, but it makes the wine just jump right out of your glass.”
That being said, plenty of young people probably also understand that problem all too well.
Through her comedy, Mary Maxwell does an excellent job of sharing what it’s like to get older.
Older people who listen to her will likely find her relatable, while younger people can learn a lot from her experiences. But perhaps her most important role to play is shining some light in dark places. Like many other parts of life, a lot of aspects of getting older aren’t fun. You have to accept the fact that you are reaching the end of your life and all of the difficulties that come with that reality.
But Mary understands that comedy can help us better come to terms with the harsh realities of life that we must all go through. And maybe, in the process of dealing with those hardships, we can all share a little bit of laughter at the end of the day.
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