Each own equilibrium

Continuing from the last blog about my stay in Perth I must relate some interesting eavesdrop conversations. On our trip to the Airport we found ourselves squeezed with 2 Caucasian couples in a small van shuttle service. After some brief where-from and where-to  introductions the other 2 couples found some very common topics of conversation. Both coincidentally just got off from the 'Princess' cruise liner at Fremantle. The British couple are probably in their sixties whilst the New Zealand couple appear to me to be much older, probably in their late sixties or early seventies. It is difficult though to tell the age of Caucasians. I feel they generally look older than their age.

So there was an animated exchange of complaints and grouses about their cruise experience frequently punctuated with "we paid them good money right". However what really amused me was their shared complaint about the lack of interesting activities and the average age of the crowd. They were aghast that the average age of the passengers was 75 and they were frustrated with the bean bag throwing exercises. The New Zealand woman said she approached the staff to introduce more interesting programs like Ballroom dancing perhaps but was told that the cruise had to cater to the preferences of the majority. Then they complained about a virus which spread like wildfire keeping 7 out of 10 away from one of their dinner tables. The New Zealand man apparently was recovering after paying a few hundred bucks on doctor's fees. They joked that the doctor on the ship probably made the most money.

What I found so amusing is what I would describe as the elderly being ageist themselves. The sixties complained about the behaviour of the seventies and probably the seventies about the eighties and so on. I laugh because I find myself being one occasionally. For instance at large company AGMs I literally squirm when a retiree investor implores the board for more dividend or tries to create some jokes with ridiculous questions. I perceive these people as 以老卖老  (flaunting one's age or seniority by ignoring manners and appropriateness ) . I also accuse older people of incorrect memories (especially my sisters') when I myself am the culprit. My biased perception tends to question theirs because they are older.

However those eavesdropped conversations en-route to the airport conjures  the picture of a van of drifters (including my husband and me ) always in search of interesting experiences. Not a bad thing except that they are fleeting and often fall short of our expectations. We need to return home to a base with a sense of purpose. It can be derived from simple things like taking care of grandchildren or a pet, being involved in some community services or religious institutions or pouring our energy into a hobby like gardening which I so admired observing the hosts of my Airbnb stay in Perth (as described in my previous blog).

As retirees we are free to choose the mix that fits us best, the balance between finding purpose and just relaxing; for each their own equilibrium.