THOSE who were already around in the 1970s and 1980s may still remember their Faded Glory jeans.
And their Bang-bang, Pepe Jeans, Gloria Vanderbilt, Sassoon, and Levi’s, of course. Talk of longevity, Levi’s tops the list for jeans.
Has-beens and former politicians can probably relate with Faded Glory which Urban Dictionary defines as “the phenomena of once bring great.”
Fairy tales usually start with “once upon a time,” and this is a line that has-beens and former politicians can also use in remembering their political history. People who have been kicked out of exclusive circles may also use that line as they recall the good old days when they thought their glory would never fade.
But glory does fade. Politicians lose in the next election. Showbiz celebrities may lose their luster once they’re old unless they’re Meryl Streep, Helen Mirren, Judi Dench, Robert de Niro, and Al Pacino. They can only wish they’re Levi’s.
And then, there’s the compulsory retirement age for employees, after which they may morph into consultants and business owners. Kind of like what I saw on a T-shirt: “Helping the world see more and be more.” Meaning, unlike politicians and showbiz celebrities, retired people’s glory may never fade.
And retired women may morph into the ladies who lunch as they shift their focus from work to their children’s weddings, grandkids, pets, spring cleaning, discovering a healthy lifestyle.
Retirement is a struggle for politicians and showbiz celebrities since they’re used to the attention wherever they go. At the height of their fame and glory, it’s the madlang pehpohl desperately trying to catch their attention. But once the glory has faded, it’s the former politician or former showbiz celebrity now desperately trying to catch the madlang pehpohl’s attention, hoping for recognition.
Famous people should be humble when they’re still famous, and not only when they’ve entered the world of faded glory. It will be too late by then to make pa-cute.
One of the lessons learned from the pandemic lockdowns is to face life one goal at a time, one day at a time. Used to reporting for work daily, retired people may now still feel they have to accomplish each item in their to-do list for the day. I gotta feeling that’s the same reason for that time when I was writing as much as four columns in one day.
But the to-do list doesn’t have the more essential goals: Be humble. Be kind. Be loving. Which are traits that old people usually adopt when they have reached a certain age, and that’s after their bad experiences with proud and cruel people. It’s through such experiences that they learn about what they don’t need.
Have you ever talked with anyone who’s constantly complaining about anyone and everyone—her parents, siblings, in-laws, nephews, nieces, officemates, former officemates, relatives, friends, ad nauseam, ad infinitum. And she would also gossip about anyone and everyone. No one is spared from her judgmental views. After having lunch with her, you now feel sad, stressed, and drained, instead of happy, inspired, and optimistic. Hmmm. She’s faded glory. It’s time to let her go.
