I'm a big girl now, mummy

I came across this wonderful poem while reading this book by Virginia Ironside, titled "The Virginia Monologues", which I'll share in this post. I picked the book up in the library yesterday when my class got cancelled in the evening. I love moments like this - a sudden god-send gift to relax. Since it's too late to arrange a dinner with my wife, I just went to the library to see if any books can find me (I realised that we never find books. Books find their readers). The book just screams out to me when I was ambling through the shelves without any particular aim in mind. This book is about growing old and why it's great to grow old. When is the last time you've seen a book like this, extolling the virtues of getting old?



The old age theme seems to catch up on me recently. Just over the last weekend, I was at Suntec city when they had a convention suitably named "Active aging". In that convention, you see all sorts of interesting stuff, from will writings, general insurance, cooking classes, HDB's studio apartment with a twist for greying population, line dancing, games (including kinec) and many more. There's even a section where you can try on this very fun thing called kangaroo jumps. Imagine a roller blade with the wheels, mounted onto two crescent shaped arcs, forming a spring of some sort. You just wear it and start jumping! I saw a lot of seniors wearing it and start bouncing around. Since I was there for some time (I tried it and wifey even bought a pair), I've never seen one who failed to balance. Coupled with the huge 25% discount, I think the product flew off the shelves.

You wear, you jump - the aptly named "Kangaroo Jumps"

Have you ever felt this way too? Suddenly, it seems that everywhere you turn, things or events of similar theme just happens to you. For me this time, it seems to be the elderly theme. I went to the convention without intending to do so, and I borrowed a book on aging without planning to do so.


Here's the poems I am talking about. It's from the book and I find it very meaningful. Enjoy.

I'm a big girl now, mummy,

I can walk, holding on to a chair.

and I can feed myself with a spoon

and I can say 'Moo'.

I'm a big girl now, mummy,

I can go to school

and I can cross the road all by myself.

I'm a big girl now, mummy,

And I can come back home at whatever time I like,

You're bloody lucky I come home at all!

I'm a big girl now, mummy,

I sit on committees

and boss other people around

and lay down the rules about what you give my

children to eat if I let them

stay with you.

I'm a big girl now, mummy,

And I can face death calmly.

And then we will meet again.

Mummy.