I thought about my drivers license renewal coming up, but then read that the DMV had waived the renewals for March and April, but the May renewals would proceed as usual. Since I only believe half of what I read I called them. They verified that they would be open, but that I should go to the window. "The window?" I thought. So I drove to our small DMV office and there in the parking lot were several cars and pickups with people in them. As I looked around there were two people sitting on small chairs outside talking to people inside the building. Oh it was such a windy day. People were keeping their papers from flying off the small ledge with their elbows and lower arms while they were writing checks to pay their renewal fees for license plates etc.
I was instantly confused as to how the people who had only about 6" of open window space would know that I was there. How was I to get in line when all those people were sitting in their vehicles? Well, it was the one and only time I was pleased that I had not been able to go to the beauty shop. My hair had turned to multiple shades of worn out color and gray. My smile, eye and neck wrinkles were very apparent in the bright sunshine plus a very helpful young man said, "Ma'am, I will tell them you are out here waiting. It's okay for you to sit in your car to wait."
Now if my mother had been alive to wait with me she would have said, "Well, that handsome young man just goes to show that chivalry isn't dead."
Also if my mother had been sitting there with me she would have told me again about the Flu Epidemic that had killed some of her family members in 1918.
When the young man waved at me that it was alright to go to the window I was asked for my paperwork and current drivers license. I then had to wait while the girl unlocked the door and invited me to sit down to take the vision and sign test. She asked me to sit down while she entered all of my information into her computer. She said to look into the camera which in no way resembled a camera. It took four tries because the light glared off my glasses. She was getting rattled and I was making smart remarks and wishing that I had tried taking the test without my glasses like I had six years ago. Then I was asked if I wanted to be an organ donor. I have always been a donor, but said, "Am I too old now? I don't know what age they refuse your organs." She said she thought it would be fine. So then it was time to pay. It was the same amount that I had paid six years ago, but wait! The new license was going to expire in three years! "What's this? I asked. I have always gotten my license renewed for six years." The girl said, "I'm sorry it's because of your age." I mumbled something about I'm not too old to donate my organs, but too old to get my driver's license for six years and attempted to go out the door. I was of course, locked into the building.
So my life continued as usual until one day I received a call from my Medicare Supplement insurance company. My company provides an in home physical once a year. This year it was to be a virtual physical. Of course, I thought, "Hmm, I wonder how that is going to work. I probably could fudge on my weight a little..." The day arrived and the first thing the Nurse Practitioner said was, "You look so young for your age." Err, I immediately thought of the DMV. Now why did that irritate me so?
There is just something about having your driver's license that makes an older person feel free and independent. I expressed these feelings to my husband and he said, "Well, I am younger than you are so I get mine for six years when I go in August to renew mine." Once again I mentally growled...
