“The old plucked chicken — or the ‘okay senior’?”

By Elizabeth Ussher Groff

The Bee, Oct 31, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009

“the mirror” by Helena S.

Some days, when I look in the mirror, I see an old woman with straggly hair, mouth lines of sadness, a neck which reminds me of a plucked chicken. I see an overweight body which has been neglected and unloved. I see an odd look in those tired brown eyes, reflecting decades of repressed selfhood.

On other days, when I look in the mirror, I see an old woman who is okay. Just the way she looks. I see a woman who had dealt with childhood traumas, a woman whose practice of friendliness and sympathy toward others now feels like a comfortable cloak; and I see a woman who enjoys hobbies and cultural events.

So who am I really? The old plucked chicken or the okay senior?

Upon reflection — pun intended — the answer is, well, I am both. I am old, but I can see, I can hear, and I can move.

I see the beauty both in the physical world and the human spirit.

I hear other people’s stories, and I connect with their concerns and their hopes.

And I move my tired but still functioning body to explore what life has to offer a senior lucky enough to live in Portland, Oregon.

(Reprinted with the permission of the author, and Write Around Portland.)

For more information on Write Around Portland workshops, and “Wordigo” — a November 3rd fundraiser celebrating writing and the power of writing in community and featuring word games, local musicians, and local writers — visit www.writearound.org, or call 503/796-9224.

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