Excuse Me, Sir
It happened again yesterday…and, as usual, took me by surprise…
A reminder in my life of how rapidly time flies…
About halfway through our morning walk..we decided to take a break…
to listen and watch the birds from a pier overlooking a lake.
The blanket of night was lifting and the morning was beginning to stir…
when a young man out for an early jog ran by and said, “Excuse me, sir.”
He continued happily on his way while I was left standing there….
on that pier overlooking the water with the word ‘SIR’ hanging in the air.
When did I become old enough to be a sir?
Was there a particular year or month or day?
I tried to erase the word as it hovered…but it would not go away.
I should have heard his footsteps from my perch next to the shore…
but even though my ears are so much larger now…I don’t hear good anymore.
Although he was now out of my view…I had this sudden whim…
to leave the serenity of the lake…and take off after him.
To see the look of surprise on his face as this old man…wrinkled and gray…
says, “Excuse me, sir.” as I smile…pass him by…then continues on my way.
Then I looked down at my legs and said to myself, “I can’t run on these.”
because as I’ve grown a little older I’ve had two surgeries on my knees.
I realized trying to run after him with bad knees would not be too bright…
besides I couldn’t remember after he left the pier…did he turn left…or right.
Anyway he had such a huge lead on me…I would be starting too far behind him…
and with my eyesight being as bad as it is…I’d probably never find him.
So as we finished our walk enjoying the clouds as they floated in the sky of blue…
I realized there and then…there was nothing I could do!
There’s nothing wrong with being a sir…I told myself…
(on this…I’m still waiting for my heart and mind to agree)
but my eyes,
my ears
and my knees…
have not stopped thanking me.
Copyright © Jim Yerman | Year Posted 2022
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