YOU’RE GOOD FOR YOUR
AGE
“You’re good for your age!”
Growing up
with two older brothers I heard this a lot.
Whatever I did, in order to keep me happy, I was told I was good for my
age. Older brothers are like that. Shoot some hoops, clang the ball off the rim
and you hear, “Not bad, you’re good for your age.” Go bowling and manage to hit a pin, “Wow Joe,
that’s good for your age.” Race your
brothers, lose by a mile and still,
“Yeah, but you’re fast for your age.”
I played
golf very good for my age; I mowed the lawn good…considering my age. I rode a
bike, swam, lifted weights, played football or baseball; I did all these things
very good for my age.
And yet.
As I grew
older I never excelled at any of these things.
I was OK. I was pretty good, but
within my age I was not much better than average. I was not good for my age, I was average for
my age.
When you are
young and told you’re “Good for your age,” you have high expectations. It is very disappointing to find you are only
at best a little above average.
Eventually
you accept reality.
There is
nothing wrong with being average or maybe even a little better than
average. You grow older and you learn to
adjust your expectations. You realize
that maybe instead of your brothers telling you that you sucked at something;
they were just being nice when they diplomatically told you, “You’re good…for
your age.
Last year I
was playing golf with my grown son. I
hit several drives onto the fairway almost 200 yards long. I was a little discouraged as a few years before
I could hit the ball 225 to 250.
My spirits
were lifted when my son told me, “You know dad, you’re pretty good…I mean…for
your age!”
It's a bizarre inverse Bell Curve based on age. When you're young or old, then you're good "for your age". In between, you just suck at doing things.
ReplyDelete"Good for your age" is a littler harder to take as a compliment in our 60s than it was when we were kids, but I guess we have to take what we can get. :)
ReplyDeleteOK then...."You suck." See, those little white lies aren't so bad after all, huh? ;)
ReplyDeleteS
HA! Boy, that sure sounds familiar. The doctor tells me that quite frequently. Somehow, being told I'm in "good shape for my age" isn't nearly as alarming as when she prefaces something by saying, "You're of the age when..." usually followed by something I don't want to hear.
ReplyDeleteJoeh, I say you were/are good at any age!;-)
ReplyDeletethese days, i'm thinking i look pretty good for my age.... *sigh*
ReplyDeleteTexWis beat me to it.
ReplyDelete"You look good for your age."
Ack. I think what they MEANT to say was just "you look good!"
:-)
Pearl
Reading this fun and poignant post I was struck by how wonderful it must have been having brothers willing to say anything nice to you at all. My only sibling, an older brother, treated me like bacteria and never had anything kind to say.
ReplyDeleteInteresting and fun post!
ReplyDeleteYou're FUNNY for your age!!
ReplyDeleteYou might say the same to your son. With no further explanations.
ReplyDeleteI try not to use the 'for your age' addition to any comment. It brings things down, rather than boosting a person up when you think about it. I want to be good at certain things at ANY age. BTW- what the hell has age got to do with anything anyhow? I'm only as old/young as I want to be.
ReplyDeleteYou know what I always hear? I hear,
ReplyDelete"You look good ... for someone who has ten kids."
What am I supposed to make of that?
Do I look good...or not? What's the kids have to do with anything? Why even mention them?!!
The Broad beat me to it, but I will add that I am sure you are wiser, more profound and funnier than you were even a year ago..
ReplyDeleteHell, old age has its perks.
You are very lucky. My youngest son would explode with pride if his older brother ever tossed such a scrap his way.
ReplyDeleteI was the last customer in this little deli somewhere ... the 'help' came out and ate ... one little girl said her friend liked to go to the garden, get a tomato off the vine, put a straw in and drink it!
ReplyDeleteI turned around and said... well, I'm 112 years old and I have NEVER known anyone to do such a thing.
The little girl's eyes got verrrry large... I said... I look good don't I? ...
she said... oh, yes m'am you sure do...
the owner lady said ... 'whatever her name '... SHE WAS KIDDING then looked at me and said she's 15...
... little girl turned red, apologized ~ pointed to her hair and said blonde! I'm blonde....
HAHAaa I was on the floor! but dang! this kid actually thought I could be 112??? hells freaking damn ass bells.
Soooo I've upped my kidding age to 127... so far so good
Could be worse. Could have said 'You're not bad for an old fart.'
ReplyDeleteNot calling you an old fart. Just saying. :)
It is all relative, ain't it, me old mucker :)
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to say thanks very much for stopping by and commenting on my recent D-Day post. (I'm still working through all the comments!)
CSM Ryan's story has received an incredible amount of support and a HUGE *Thank you* goes to DL Hammons - and all the Blitzers :)
PS: Bill said to let everyone know he really appreciated all the personal comments directed his way :)