Gray Day

The weather today was gray. Not rainy, just a little nippy and cloudy. But something else is gray, and has been for quite awhile, but it never affected me as much as it did today.

What's gray is my mustache, which I am growing out for a small role in The Village Players' upcoming production of Oklahoma! My mustache and beard have been coming in mostly gray for many years now, and it makes me look a little older, or at least more like my actual age.

But today, as I checked out at the grocery store, with a teen girl at the register, I had something of a shock. I watched her ring up the purchase, saw the amount, and reached into my wallet. But when I looked up again. the total on the screen was slightly less. I paid accordingly. And then when I got out to the car it struck me that, today being Tuesday, I was being given our local market's Tuesday discount. For seniors.

I am not actually old enough for the discount, which kicks in at 55, I believe, but I doubt whether the young lady at the register could tell my age that accurately. But it does give one pause. When I auditioned for the play, the director had me read for the part of Jud Fry, the villian. I thought I gave a good reading, and I still think so. But I didn't get the part, probably because Jud is supposed to be quite a bit younger than me. Ouch.

It turns out that it's just as well that I didn't get a part that big; the new house, the old house, two young boys in school, and one adult child who is relying on me (or at least my car, it varies with Karen's schedule) for transportation to work, has left me with little time for studying lines and lyrics.

Or, unfortunately, writing long blog entries. Until next time.