Old Age and Wise Indian Woman

Michaela Parker
October 9, 2013
ENG 111
Final Draft How age impact the elderly in their day lives. When you see an elderly person you think slow moving and a change in attitude. They also give a good outlook on life when they decide to tell life experiences or stories. Most people understand older people differently, sometimes it is hard but then again it is as easy as the alphabet. I observed my ninety year old grandmother. She has changed a lot over the years. I noticed the different ways she move around and the way she dresses. My grandmother moves slow as if she was racing a snail. She uses a cane to walk and sometimes stops while walking. Before she could do everything on her own but from the observation she needs a lot of assistance now. I see her now and she be putting her all into moving as if she was reaching out to God himself. When I observed her at the home she moved only when she was going to the restroom, getting ready to eat, or wanted to go to another room to talk with the family. She did not use her cane while at home she only used it when she went out or a walk or out of the house. She can not stand for long period of time. On the day she went to the grocery store she walked around the store with her cane. She did have to stop repeatedly because she was tired. Finally, she went to the front of the store and sat on the bench until we finished shopping. I noticed she had a shortness of breath. I asked my grandmother was she feeling well during the observation and did she need to sit down. She stated, “I am fine just need to do as you said and sit down”. Although, could not see her heart beating fast I could feel it when I helped her sit down. Ironically, while she was preparing to sit down I noticed the color of her eyes. I asked her how is it that her eyes are different than a couple of years ago. Her eyes were grey and watery like she had been crying for days. She stated, my eyes use to be green but the older I became they changed color along with my hair. Her hair was long and gray. She looked like an old wise Indian woman or Grand Master whom have lots of knowledge about nature and life. In addition to observing my grandmother’s movement and her features I also observed the way she dressed. My grandmother always dressed warm like it was always winter time. When I look at her it made me feel as hot as an oven on the highest level burning in flames, feeling like hell. The day I observed her at home she wore her pink house gown with flowers. The gown was a little above the knees and made of cotton. Meanwhile the observation at the grocery store was not that much different. She wore a jogging suit all white with black sneakers. Although it was already hot outside when we went to the grocery store she kept insisting she was cold. I am guessing from my observation it was because she was old and her body had changed. While observing her at home and at the grocery store, I realized she had a change in moods also. Her moods changed in less than three minutes. When my grandmother spoke to people and they said something she did not like she literally told them to just shut up all rudely. As a reader you probably are shocked as to how she would say the things she does. As a granddaughter it was something I was familiar with. In conclusion, age can possibly impact a person depending on their health and body. The overall observation enlighten me on how age can impede the life of the elderly. My grandmother’s age impacted her movement, the way she dressed, moods, and features. The observations were done in more than was setting during the daytime.