After breakfast, we went to the park for our daily walk where our group of eight women met to exercise and socialize. We were all between the ages of sixty and seventy five and we had all discovered the pleasure of living life on our own terms.
“Good morning Henrietta, how are you today?” Monica asked me as we started our loop around the lake. I told her I was doing wonderful and that I was ready to enjoy the beautiful sunshine and the fresh air.
As we walked, I listened to the others talk about their lives and I realized how much I would miss this freedom if my house was full of noisy relatives. Having four extra people in my home would mean losing my ability to come and go as I pleased.
During the walk, Shirley mentioned that her son had tried to take away her car keys because he thought she was too old to drive. We were all outraged because Shirley was a perfectly capable driver who was much more careful than the young people in town.
“They simply do not understand that we are still individuals with our own desires,” Brenda added while we stopped for water. We all nodded in agreement because the struggle to maintain our autonomy was a topic that united our entire group.