When I am an old man....

Written by Louise P. Whitney, LMSW, ACSW, C-SWHC

Louise is a Social Worker for DayTimers, an adult day health care program of the Jewish Home of Rochester, Rochester, NY

...I shall wear my old slippers and plaid flannel shirt,
Mismatch my colors: What can it hurt?
I'll lie around in my boxers, happy and free,
Have popcorn and pickles while I watch TV.
When I drink my coffee, I'll use yesterday's cup,
And in the bathroom, I'll leave the seat up.
I'll drink milk from the carton, spend all day in bed,
Or maybe, just maybe, I'll stand on my head.
I'll toss out my neckties, give away my good suit,
Scratch where it itches, I won't give a hoot.
I'll flirt with young girls and give a big smile,
Admire the sunset and daydream a while.
But, I'm not old yet, so I have to be good,
mind my manners, behave as I should.
I think though that maybe I'll start here and there.
Wear paint splattered shoes or a shirt with a tear,
Eat dessert first or forget washing my hair,
So my friends won't all panic and say that I'm mad
When I start wearing shirts that are flannel and plaid.

Louise wrote this poem to compliment a men's group she initated at her center called the Men's Plaid Flannel Shirt Society, which is a program that celebrates men. It is a fun, social program designed to provide pleasure, socialization and the chance to simply be "one of the guys".
This group is patterned after the Red Hat Society which is popular with the ladies. The Men's Plaid Flannel Shirt Society offers men the same opportunities to kick back and celebrate their age.

There is a wonderful article about the inception of the Men's Plaid Flannel Shirt Society in the Fall issue of Activity Director's Quarterly .

If you start such a group at your facility, Louise invites your emails regarding your chapter's development.

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Traditional Classroom Setting
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