clapped. Pat jerked on my pink T-shirt they had given me when we came in and told me disgustedly to “sit down.” I did and she told me “They just asked for all the breast cancer survivors to stand.”

Just being 80 doesn’t mean you get any extra respect. No way. And this: While standing in a long line at an airport in Florida they told everyone under 80 to remove their shoes. At last, I thought. some respect for us old people. Later, at the counter where you put your stuff through the little X-Ray gadget this same mean looking female security officer said, “You supposed to have your shoes off.” I started to explain but I guess they don’t speak all that good of English down there and she said, “get-em-off.” By then she had assigned herself to me. When I started putting my stuff in this little tray, I got nervous as I had an inordinate number of coins, and I spilled them all on the floor. The mean, inconsiderate woman had never taken her eyes off me. I never did get all my coins picked up but after passing through the X-Ray I couldn’t find one of the shoes she had made me take off. She told me to keep moving. I was almost resolved to limping back into Allen on one shoe. I may have had a little tear in my aged eye. Later, when the crowd had thinned out I timidly tippytoed back to this machine in my sock-feet. Out of the corner of my eye I spied her again hot after me. Luckily at that moment I found my shoe up inside that machine, but I never made it back to my bench. She escorted me to this telephone-like booth where I was full body X-Rayed. No one in my family had waited. Even knowing my age, they had all deserted me. But it worked out OK. I was “glowing” as I, the last one to race aboard my flight, finally making it back to Allen where you don’t have to go through an X-Ray or take your shoes off. Ever.

This winter I guess I’ll have yet another birthday. I’ll be 88. An age where maybe I’ll finally get some respect. Hope all of you have a Merry Christmas and make it to Church Sunday, with respect.

Wayne Bullard, DPh

cwaynebullard@gmail.com