Martine sat alone in her home. Her husband had passed during the early days of the Pandemic.
She was sad but no longer grief-stricken. He had left her in good condition with a modest home and little debt. The grown kids were off in the world and rarely visited.
Martine was that stable kind of woman who never needed much.
But now she wondered: What’s next?
The other aging widowed ladies loved to play Mahjong. She would sit with them but the game did not interest her.
She was that kind of old that didn’t wither. She walked daily and had a regular exercise routine. She ate a relatively healthy diet that kept her strong and away from the constant doctor visits some of her friends had to endure.
She liked watching TV but found herself annoyed with the conditions reported from around the world.
She had protested and fought for so many changes that were now being ignored. “Now they want to take away the safety net for old people.”
That was one of many possible dangers she worried about and the cancellation of food programs for children.
“What kind of world will we have if we don’t care for the young and old?”
She glanced over her friends who were all pretty solid despite being over seventy in most cases.
Suddenly she heard them laughing. Jessie was telling them that when she first got married, she couldn’t walk naked past her husband without him trying to grab her and start something. Now she could stand in front of him with a rose in her teeth and giggle and his face would just go back to looking at his phone.
“Yes, we are invisible. Nobody sees us or takes a look except to offer a seat on the train or ask if we need help carrying a package.”
“Yeah, it’s true we are kind of invisible.”
Martine is struck with a thought:
Hmm hmm, we are invisible and this might just be a superpower.
Phyllis Haynes, Producer Haynes Media Works, Writer, Speaker Producer and Host, Profonde.TV, Princeton Television Producer, Possible Futures. She is a 25-year on-air broadcast veteran in network news and public affairs reporting. She served as the host of "Straight Talk" for WOR-TV and reported on major issues for ABC Evening News with Peter Jennings and the number one morning show Good Morning America. She received awards for her original independent documentary work. The Daily News heralded her independent production of Aids: The Facts of Life featuring Susan Sarandon as a great learning tool. Her documentary received an award from the American Film Institute and Billboard magazine.
Phyllis Haynes, Producer Haynes Media Works, Writer, Speaker Producer and Host, Profonde.TV, Princeton Television Producer, Possible Futures. She is a 25-year on-air broadcast veteran in network news and public affairs reporting. She served as the host of "Straight Talk" for WOR-TV and reported on major issues for ABC Evening News with Peter Jennings and the number one morning show Good Morning America. She received awards for her original independent documentary work. The Daily News heralded her independent production of Aids: The Facts of Life featuring Susan Sarandon as a great learning tool. Her documentary received an award from the American Film Institute and Billboard magazine.
