Ole Age Comes with Crosses!

Ole Age come with Crosses 
(written in old-school Jamaican scroll down for English translation)

Sharing age old (or old age)
wisdom with Rock Teens at
Church on the Rock Ocho Rios

When ole people tell you seh all kinds of crosses will befall you as you age, believe dem. Trini comedian Paul Keens-Douglas say “Ole people aint get ole by being stupid!” Is true.

So I have a friend who just hit 40 and bawling bout how him eyesight getting bad and him gwine haffi wear glasses. An' another who turn 45 and crying how she start feel all kinda pain a mawning time when she wake up (frankly, mi tink she jus need exercise). Wonder wha she woulda seh bout mi who a stare down di barrel of di sixth decade rapidly approaching from a close distance?

Mi nah talk bout di memory ting cause dat deh a lyad mouth story. Mi can neva figure out whey mi pu’dung mi phone. Have two pair a glasses cause mi always cyaan fine one. Eva a write the wrong date. Lost mi key eena mi fridge!

When mi wake up mi whole body stiff like boad. An nuh jus because mi have one malady whey cause it. Mi did always wear glasses suh nobody neva know when mi tun 40 but the bi-focal – sorry, progressive lens – ting fine mi when mi touch di mid 40s. Den eena mi big-big 50, atopic dermatitis – eczema or something like it – decide fi tek mi. A girl like me who fa skin did always clean and pretty now have bumpy bumpy face! Mi drink nuff wata (always did), nuh like sweet something unless is mango or other fruit, nyam nuff vegetable and fibrous matter, and do all the singting dem seh fi do fi stay healthy. Still bumpy-bumpy, itchy-itchy face a reach mi.

Before I made the upswing that did me in!

Den as if dat wasn’t enuf, mi go tek faas seh mi a go a gym! Singting whey mi nuh do none tall! Gone go pon rowing machine and mek few row, and baps! Mash up mi shoulda! Trus’ mi…but it get worse cause mi travel nuff and eena Fall mi deh a Vancouver and di pretty-pretty autmn leaves dem call to mi fi play like pickney and throw dem up eena di air an tek pickcha. Massa God tek di case and gimme di pillow! A deso mi tear the ligament. A bawl like baby whey want titty.

So all a oonu young bud whey nuh know storm and a laugh up laugh up now, tek care a yuh body. Eat good and exercise well cause one day if Massa God lef yuh pon earth fi long, ole age gwine tek yuh and crosses will come! Mek sure yuh ready!

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Crosses come with age

When old people tell you that all kinds of “crosses” will befall you as you age, believe them. Trinidadian comedian Paul Keens-Douglas say “Old people didn’t get old by being stupid!” It ss true.

So, I have a friend who just hit 40 and complaining that his eyesight is getting bad and he’ll have to wear glasses. And another who turn 45 and is crying that she feels a myriad of pain when she wakes up every morning. (I think she just needs exercise frankly). I wonder what she would say about me who is staring down the barrel of the sixth decade rapidly approaching from a close distance?

I’m not talking about the memory thing because those are only lies. I can never figure out where I put my phone. Have two pair a glasses because I always lose one. Always writing the wrong date. Lost my keys in the fridge!

When I wake up my whole body stiff like board. And not only because I have a malady that would cause that. I’ve always worn glasses so nobody knew when I turned 40 but the bi-focal – sorry progressive lens – found me when I reached my mid-40s. Then at 50, atopic dermatitis – eczema or something akin to it – decided to find me. A girl like me who always had clean pretty skin now has a bumpy face. I drink lots of water, always did, don’t eat sweets except fruits, eat lots of vegetables and fiber and do all the things they say we should do to be healthy. Still, bumpy, itchy face has found me.

Then as if that wasn’t enough, I decided to go to a gym! Something I don’t do at all. Went on the rowing machine and rowed a couple of time and then bam! Hurt my shouler. Trust me…but it gets worse because I travel a lot and in Fall I was in Vancouver and the pretty autumn leaves called me to play with them like a child, throwing them up in the air for a picture. Father God! (no translation for this line sorry) That’s when I tore the ligament. I cried like a baby wanting the breast.

So, all you young people who have no experience and are laughing now, take care of your body. Eat well and exercise because one day, if God leaves you on this earth for long, you will get old and crosses will come. Make sure you’re ready!

check out my latest project at www.jamaicanonice.com

check out my website at www.jfalloon-reid.com

-->