Honesty Policy

“I think you should call me when you can because I’d like to share with you something that’s going to shock you,” Granny began in an eerie tone in the voicemail she left me this morning. “Eh, I’ll tell ya right now,” she’s never been good at maintaining suspense. “He’s married.”

She had a phone date with a man from JDate last night; turns out the old bugger’s already got himself a lady. Sadly his wife has Alzheimer’s, which he confessed to Granny after their hour-long chat. This is one of those situations where as an older person the issues are more complex and the baggage more profound. If the situations were reversed and a man was telling me he had a sick partner I’d immediately dismiss him as an option then swiftly kick him in the balls.

“How beautifully honest of you,” she told him. “If you think I’m being sarcastic, I’m not. I appreciate that you’re telling the truth.”

“If you don’t want to meet me now that you know that I understand,” he said.

“I don’t have a problem at all,” she told him. “I’m not looking to get married.” Granny’s had her own complicated romantic history, which gives her more empathy to untraditional relationships and a looser view on marriage.

She was frank, “I’m pretty much here to eat when I get hungry, sleep when I get tired, and breathe my own air in my own space.”

I like that they are starting out with such brutal honesty about where they’re coming from and where they’re expectations lie. I doubt that their relationship will develop into something romantic, but who knows. They do have a date set for later in the week….

After getting the heavy stuff off her chest she was ready to gossip about what really mattered to her, “He’s old, the oldest that have ever admit to his age. He’s admitting to 87, that’s pushing 90,” she whined. “Oh my God, you’re talking about going out with a 22 year-old? Do you think in my mind I’d ever go out with a 87 year old? Ten years older than me? Unbelievable.” The lady is young at heart.

LISTEN TO HER VOICEMAIL: voicemail.mp3