My Fountain of Youth
“Red pill, blue pill, little yellow capsule,” she sorted out loud, bifocals askew.
“The red’s for vim. The blue’s for vigor. The yellow is for good measure.” she quipped as she reached for her kale smoothie handing him the costly treasure with a gnarled hand she barely recognized.
“How can you stomach that vile green?” he asked, nose scrunched.
“What Dear? Why are you whispering?” she barked a little too loudly.
“The green drink, why?” he shouted towards her good ear.
“My fountain of youth!” she slurped.
“Now drink your Metamucil, we are late for your podiatry appointment.” she commanded as was her prerogative.
“And don’t forget your nitro.”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I’m feeling my age today and all the kale in the world doesn’t seem to be stopping the sands of time. You can only hold onto youth in your heart because your hands and your neck will always give you away. If you can’t laugh at yourself …. How you gonna laugh at somebody else?
Be well and drink your kale.
Read more flash fiction here
What's for dinner, Doc? 
I know exactly how you feel. What is that line from Steel Magnolia’s time marches on and eventually you realize it’s marching across your face or something like that.
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That’s hilarious. I’m gonna use that phrase!
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I feel like you most mornings. I’m learning to embrace the new me I see in the mirror.
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I don’t even recognize the old lady in my mirror. I swear I’m still 36.
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May time be kind – that’s all I can say. Well captured view of the elderly (My parents can be counted among them. Dad 94 Mom 91, Oh the crazy conversations!!!)
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My elderly parents used to sort out their pills and make me insane. My Mom, bless her heart, was 1/2 blind and had 4 small pills in 4 shades of yellow-white. She would get them all mixed up and even I had trouble sorting them. They lived into their 90’s so in the end it didn’t matter.
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One thing we don’t have controller is aging. We can mix, pill, exercise and sleep our pain away but age will be right there mocking us.
Nice write … !!! I feel your pain. I’m there.
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At least we can keep our minds sharp by writing! The wrinkles be damned.
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where do we get that green drink? nice post
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I start with a protein powder, add almond milk, berries and kale or spinach. Then I add a pinch of wisdom, a dash of hope, and a sense of humor.
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Well, I don’t accept the image in the mirror. Or on my driver’s license. Or anywhere else I might see it, including in a puddle. Embrace my age? I want to give my age a kick you know where!
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I kinda like the way I look in a puddle, the mud gives me a lovely tan effect and the ripples smooth out the fine lines. I still can’t figure out how to reply to your posts without being “anonymous Tracey”. Be well Perry
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🙂 Vim and vigour (I’m a Brit) are in short supply around my neck of the woods. I don’t know who the grey-haired guy is at the computer across from me, but he reminds me of someone I used to run with. He says he knows me from somewhere too. Nice vignette on the joys to come Tracey.
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Ha ha. I’m smiling. Thanks for laughing with me, Tracey
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Dear Tracey,
I lift my kale smoothie to you this morning. Fountain of youth indeed. Fun stuff…although too close for comfort. What…? Speak louder…
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle, Drink up. You’re going to need super foods to get you through your next publication adventure. Congratulations.
Tracey
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Dear Tracey,
I know why people die…or at least why men do.
Great story. Now drink your kale smoothie.
Aloha,
Doug
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Can you grow kale in Hawaii? Uh people get old and die despite Big Pharma and organic kale. It has always been so. But I’ll die with a smile on my face and kale in my teeth.
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I hope they come out with something better than kale by the time i get there. They better hurry.
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Once you start eating and drinking kale you never go back but beware it is a gateway vegetable that leads to arugula, mustard greens, tatsoi and seaweed. 😉
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LOL! I had to go back and reread your story after reading the comments! Haha! I need some of the green stuff for my memory bank. Ha! Delightful story but like Rochelle said, “a little too close for comfort.” Your patients must have a ball when they go in to see you, I know I would.
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I’m very serious in the office. Not really I’m pretty relaxed. Come by any time.
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I’ll see you soon! I’ll be the one that’s lost. 😀
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I’m really looking forward to all this, I have to say. Time for carers and doctors to look after me. Bring it on!
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Oh Patrick. Drink your greens and you won’t need all that.
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Somehow I can imagine the old couple trying to stay young… Kale smoothie sounds delicious compared to the raw-liver smoothie recipes I got with a mixer…
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Raw liver smoothie? No thanks Bjorn.
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I’ve seen the future and it’s multi-coloured, like those pills.
Kale – lovely stuff. Can I also recommend the brightest lipstick and bottle of hair dye you can find – doesn’t make you look any younger but it’s fun!
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I agree. Better living through cosmetics, power foods and kindness – a killer combination. We can find true happiness at any age.
Be well,
Tracey
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That’s quite a regime. I hope it helps!
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No one gets off this planet alive regardless. 😉
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I only jumped onto the kale bandwagon last year and love it. Always late to the party, I’ve now been informed it’s now been usurped by watercress as the world’s number one superfood. Go figure.
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You just can’t win. I think any real food is super. So many people don’t even know what real food looks like.
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I think if faced with Kale as the primary ingredient in the Elixir of Youth, I might take to simply aging disgracefully. 🙂
Nice story, I could really visualise the old couple from their dialogue.
Cheers
KT
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🙂 KT
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Ah dear – the ageing process. No fun. Well written dialogue – that is fun.
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I fear that I will be that bossy in my old age. Once a doctor, always a doctor. Thanks Margaret.
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Very funny 🙂
I think that any green drink would kill me off, rather than promote longevity, thinking of the negative effect that a remedy called Super Greens had on me when I tried it! I’ll stick to goat’s milk and the occasional glass of red wine, I think.
My husband has just joined what I call “The Pill Club” but not by choice. I keep catching him discussing his pills with other members of the club.
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“The pill club”. Funny. We all go into the pill club kicking and screaming but sometimes it a necessary evil. Thanks Sarah.
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Really enjoyed this quick, clever dialogue, that tells an equally sharp story. Very well done!
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What a nice compliment. Thank you for clicking by.
Tracey
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