Mundane Old Guy Wisdom

Older folks are my favorite patients. I have a great deal of respect for them and try to listen intently when engaged with conversation, maybe because I am so intrigued with how their mind works and their attitude of the world.
Today I had a conversation with an 80 something year old gentleman, a former high school history teacher. He said to me vaguely looking at me with dirty glass eyes, but concentrating hard, he said, "Young man, I don't know you, I know your personality, but I don't know anything about you, and I am not the type of person who makes remarks of the impressions I get about people but I feel very compelled to say that I get a strong feeling that you should be on a boat. do you own a boat?"
"No," I said, "not yet, I'd like to. It's funny you mentioned that because I actually have heard that before."
"Well," said he stroking his 2 day old wrinkled white whisker chin "Take it from an old man now. Get yourself a boat and sail away while you are young." Old men, in case you haven't noticed that they are old, always like to mention to you that they are an "Old Man." Maybe the young populace wants to move in gears that spin un-compassionately for these folks, so they must constantly remind us of their status. It must be a very big honor, and perhaps that is another reason I enjoy working with the elderly.
"Next time I come in I expect you to have a boat young man."
"I can't afford a boat."
"Son, like I said, I look at you and I know you should be sailing."
"Why in the world would you see me here next time if I have a boat? (laughs)"
I got about 6 months until his next check-up.