Jan5,2009:::The day I realized I'm "old"

It's the first work week of 2009 and I'm feeling wonderful. I have a steady job in this roller coaster recession, soon to be married to my lovely lady & just overall optomistic for 2009 and whats in store.
So I started out this year okay so far, got up early to drop wifey at work, went on in through traffic to the good ol DMV. There was a wait ofcourse, not super crowded but you could tell noone wanted to be there. Anyway, there was this old guy with a cane that came in after I did. I overheard him at the front desk & I think he was renewing his license. Do you know that the receptionist told him his birth certificate was EXPIRED! When does your birth certificate expire??? I thought it was upon DEATH! lol so the poor old guy just stood there dazed & confused repeating "I've lived at the same residence since 1960//I'm 90 years old//I don't have any other id//I've served in the military my whole life//my wife is in a nursing home//I hope she remembers where she put my id's." The DMV lady had no remorse for the old guy. She know she could've let him slide this, possibly his final license renewal ever. Okay, maybe he was too old to be drivin my thats just our opinions, lol he may be full of spring like that old Six Flags advertisement. So the old guy just gathered his wits & asked if there were any cabs that came thru the DMV or a phone to call someone. Ofcourse, the lady told him it was very rare for a cab to drive thru there. This guys day was just not starting good. I walk outside waiting for my number to be rang. Got hassled by some petitioner out in the parking lot, some conspiracy cabinet thing, I dont know. But I see the old man out there again. Now he's standing outside looking for a ride. He yells across the parking lot for a cab driver, asking if he could take him home. Just his luck, the cab driver says he works in DC & would "get a ticket" for taking the old man home. Bummer. Starts Raining.
This is f'd up. By now, the lady talkin my ear off has pissed me off so I go back inside to hear for my number - cool! right on time! handle my biz - I'm out!
There's the old guy again - standing outside asking random people for assistance - either the people can't understand what he's saying or it's the typical city blowoff people give to homeless, vets & donation/donut people at the intersections.

Atleast 'Black Jesus' on Penn Ave gets a honk, god bless or some type of reaction from passers. Here, this 90+ year old white guy with no phone, ride & 1/2 his sense maybe, can't get a second look.
So I go get in my car LOL then I stop & think, ya know, that very well could be my mom or dad & maybe soon enough, me standing up here stranded, noone to come pick me up, noone to call, noone to help me home...
That's that moment - that moment right there - One day, I'll be old like this guy if I'm lucky
Is it a sad time? is it depressing? to wake up and forget where you are or forget your birthday, the day you were born! wow - that day

I closed my phone blog I was writing & got out the car.
Went up to the old man in most humble afro-american voice & asked how I could help him. "I heard everything you've been going thru this morning..."

I thought the guy was about to cry foreal - He really felt abandoned.

I called Yellow Cab (B/c I'm not THAT nice, I'ma drive him home, he may be some 90yr old serial killer for all I know)

"Okay, what's your name sir? the cab will pick you up out here...Marquar?? what kinda name...okay uh operator, name is Marquar?? uh, he'll be outside waitin - thx. They'll be here in 10 minutes"


I wouldn'tve felt 'real' if I had drove off without helping that guy out as much as I could. That thought tho, that vision of seeing myself standing outside the dmv at 80+ years old - Well I feel good starting off my 2009 with a helping hand & gets my expectations of this year go even higher

- this doesn't kick rocks