Two Old Bats in the Belfry
Two Old Bats in the Belfry
Spiders, Cockroaches, and Guaranteed Gags
We share our fears of spiders and cockroaches, exploring how they shape our lives. Laughter proves to be an essential tool in discussing aging and life's challenges. Our discussions about planning our own funerals lead to reflections on legacy and friendship.
• Discussion about fears and phobias, particularly spiders and cockroaches
• The concept of having a mock funeral and reactions to it
• Importance of humor in dealing with life's fragility and aging
Hi everyone, this is Shelly G and Vicki Z, and we are Two Old Bats in the Belfry.
Speaker 2:Hello world and we do hope the whole world is listening.
Speaker 1:And how are you, by the way? And if you're not listening, then get the fuck to the radio.
Speaker 2:Or however you get your pot. Oh see. I just dated myself with that little get yourself to the radio.
Speaker 1:I know.
Speaker 2:Like it's the 1930s.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but that's okay, we're old, so it's all right. Well, it is, and we remember those things, it is true.
Speaker 2:And since we are a little older, my darling friend Vicki, we have a couple of fears and phobias yes, which I'm sure everybody does, I and phobias, yes, which I'm sure everybody does. I mean. My phobia and fear are spiders. Okay, when I see spiders, yeah, I'm like I used to roll bowling balls over, yeah, I spiders and cockroaches.
Speaker 1:Yeah see, I can't. I can't kill cockroaches, because I remember distinctly the sound of the shell cracking oh, yeah, yeah, yeah they're crushing and ever since then I can, so I try to save them and throw them outside. I know I saw you do that.
Speaker 2:I have a cup that I do that with. I know.
Speaker 1:I can't kill anything lately because I get very emotional. I think, what if he has relatives? What if they're?
Speaker 2:crickets outside. Well, they do See. And I say, when I see a roach, I say I'll help him bring his family. I know, but they do, you can't help it.
Speaker 1:Well but since you talk, we're talking about phobias and killing. Yeah, I know I'm deaf, I know I have a phobia about, and I don't think I'm. I forget what the word is. See, there's my memory going again, but claustrophobic. I have a fear of being in a tight space and not being able to get out.
Speaker 2:You're not. Well, actually you will, because we're going to be cremated, this is true, but I and you're going to be in the rock.
Speaker 1:I'm going to be in the rock, but that is, I'm not going to be in my form anymore. My soul will be flying to Broadway.
Speaker 2:Yes, you always wanted to be on Broadway.
Speaker 1:I did always want to be on Broadway. So how come you're not? Because I became a dental assistant instead.
Speaker 2:Oh, you see, I was on Broadway many times.
Speaker 1:Really In what?
Speaker 2:capacity. I was in every theater on Broadway for every possible show I could see. Oh, I love it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there's something very, very energizing and something that happened to me. Whenever I stepped on a stage, I felt so alive, but in this case, since, it's too late for this life, it isn't really there's open mic nights, I know, but I'm kind of chicken about things like that and I do have plenty to say. That would be funny and since they're all dead, I can really talk about that.
Speaker 2:You know what I think we should do. I think this is a great idea. I think we should plan our funerals in advance, and people are doing that People do, but I think we should have a mock funeral and we should stay behind a closed door and see what people will say about us when they come in.
Speaker 1:I think that's an excellent idea, and then see, then we can weed out our friends. That's right.
Speaker 2:We can make a list. We can make a list and check it twice. That's right.
Speaker 1:And then we know who our real friends are, but we call it an enemy's list. Perhaps I don't know.
Speaker 2:I thought you were going to say enema.
Speaker 1:Oh, enema is a good thing too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I always have an extra one. Well, the enema could eliminate a lot of people Talk about elimination.
Speaker 1:You're absolutely right. A lot of people talk about elimination. You're absolutely right. But what a shitty subject. I'm telling you stinks to high heavens but, you know, the more I'm thinking about that.
Speaker 2:I'd love to know. You know what? What people would say yeah but. I would not want them to plan it. I would want them to be called on, brought up to the podium so they could shiver from public speaking Right and see what they would say. See, I would like people to remember me, besides as being a good person with a big heart, I would like people to remember me as being funny Me too, because I think humor is everything.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if you don't have a sense of humor, in can't really deal with anything. You, you really can't. And and people who do have a good sense of humor can find humor in anything, everything, no question. And yeah, it does, it does lighten the burden and it absolutely does, and and I do agree with you I too would like to be remembered for being funny and kind and loyal and moral and decent.
Speaker 2:Stop me whenever, let's not get carried away. No.
Speaker 1:I know, but I, you know, I just would like to be remembered as someone who was a loving giving person and cared about people and animals more than anything. Yes that is true and, just you know, loved being here and I would say to people now I never believed how fast it could go and now I'm living that truth, so please enjoy every moment.
Speaker 2:You know it's funny. My husband said to me the other night we're only married 20 odd years and to each other.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:That's a long time still. Yeah, no, he was married 35 and I was married 23 previously, besides a couple I didn't tell him about, yeah, because they were bad vacations. They weren't really Right, I don't count them, no. But he said to me you know, I'm 80 years old, almost 81. And he says these were the best. These are the best years of my life. He says I'm having the greatest time.
Speaker 1:I never thought that life could be so good. That's wonderful, but where did it go? I know and I can't believe where it went because, as people say, you really remember everything from years ago more than today. And I see that because my memory is your short-term memory is shot to hell. It's shot to hell. The brain is probably shrinking at a fast clip, but it is true. The thing that I really can't get through my head is how fast it all goes. I know that there are years and years and years of memories.
Speaker 2:And isn't it funny how you kind of toss away or hide the bad ones and really remember the good ones. Well, I'm not so sure in my case, and here I was going to say that we can't take ourselves seriously. That's true. We have to be able to take a joke also.
Speaker 1:This is absolutely true, and to me, a sense of humor is the greatest gift that one can have, either by being a person with a sense of humor or appreciating someone with a sense of humor. To me, that's sexier than anything ever.
Speaker 2:And you know it's funny Remembering my parents who I loved. They had a tough life. No-transcript. You know mine was not a funny household.
Speaker 1:My mother was funny and my mother used to tell me that her mother used to laugh, laugh, laugh whenever she did her, whatever it was. So I'm pretty sure I get it from my mom and that's about it.
Speaker 2:No, so you know. However, we got it. The fact that we do have a sense of humor Right. Just the fact that we could do these podcasts, right fact that we do have a sense of humor, right, just the fact that we could do these podcasts, right and try and be silly, and you know that there's so much going on in the world now that we don't have to discuss right, because everybody else does the fact that we can do these and just and still find joy and fun and fun and humor yes and makes me feel like we're doing a good thing, regardless of how many tons of you are listening to us, and hopefully that will be the case.
Speaker 2:Well, thank God nobody comes up to either one of us and says what's the matter? Can't you take a joke?
Speaker 1:Or what's the matter. Can I have an autograph? Oh well, we're not there yet. I know we're not there yet, but we will be someday.
Speaker 2:Yes, we will, maybe in the rock but someday, we live in hope, yes, and die in despair, and we'll leave you with this Remember age is mind over matter.
Speaker 1:If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.