A LION IN WINTER*

I came across this phrase in reference to Henry II who was the King of England in the twelfth century. He expanded England’s French holdings and improved the kingdom’s administration. In his later years he ran afoul of a recalcitrant Archbishop, (Thomas-a-Becket,) a very bright and ambitious spouse, as well as rebellious sons. The above title refers the challenges he faced as a ruler in his older years of failing capacities. I liken it to the challenges we may have to deal with during our advancing years in 2023, while managing our environments as some of us experience declining powers.

We older types may not see ourselves as lions surrounded by snapping jackals, but the analogy has some relevance. The environments we are facing in our current days are a far cry from conditions we dealt with during our heydays when we had full possession of our faculties.

Kings, queens, or commoners, no matter how masterful we were way back when, we may find the realities of the present a challenge to grasp. Do we really understand what it all means? Do the people we are engaged with today find the same motivations for their actions that we were accustomed to in the past? Are we fully understanding all the factors at play in our current environment? Don’t these elements have relevance in our personal lives as well as in our relations with the outside world? Do we relate well to the younger people in our circle? Can we understand their motivations? Male or female, we may perceive some of the current elements of our lives perplexing.

We know we are not as sharp as we were, not as alert, not as quick on the uptake. We make notes when we just used to remember. Or, horrors! We sometimes forget things, even important things. Sometimes, we speak out when, in the past, we would have held on to our own counsel. And, sometimes we can be grouchy and out of sorts, even when we are determined to be nice to everybody. We notice we have a shorter fuse when we find ourselves in frustrating situations, and we have to deal with difficult people who, in the past we would have just walked away from. Yes, for some of us, things, they are a-changing!

For most people this scenario is not of much interest unless you have an aging parent or other relative in your circle. If you do, you may be well aware there is something brewing on your horizon.

You probably already have your hands full with children finding their way, maybe clamoring for attention in a world where prospects seem a little dimmer that what they were for you when you look back. Siblings may be a help or a hazard. It’s difficult to say which way things are going even if we are fortunate enough to live in North America.

The dark underbelly of life here is being exposed in surprising ways. Challenges we believed had been put to bed are now being raised anew and we know that those of you who will have to live with them, those in the full flood of the living experience, do not know what the answers will be at this point. Whether in spring, summer or fall, things may appear a little wintry for the next little while.

I’m going to curl up in my favorite armchair with a book I’ve been wanting to read for the longest time. I hope to stay out of trouble and avoid being a nuisance.

*Lion In Winter, a play by James Goldman in 1966 and a film, by that name in 1968.