I leaned that expression courtesy of Ann Althouse who found it on a blunt and undiplomatic quiz for women that supposedly helps them establish their market worth for dating.
The very first question was age and those over 49 were asked to consider whether they might be "waysa".
Okay, the test is stupid and vulgar and if you have any doubts let me tell you that "waysa" means "Why are you still alive?"
Nice, eh?
But it got me thinking. Most people who ever lived died before their forty-ninth birthday. Until the twentieth century the average lifespan was something like 39. Those of us who have made it past that really should ask the question: Why am I still alive? What justifies my being here.
PS: As I type this the Serpentine One standing behind me surveying the office said, "So many piles of crap, only one paper shredder."
Simply being here is all the justification we need! This reminds me of that study that came out of Harvard maybe 10 or 15 yrs. ago that said that if a woman hasn't married by age 30 she has a better chance of being struck by lightning--twice--than ever getting married. While "waysa" might be tongue in cheek, it speaks to the way society devalues aging and the wisdom that comes with it.
ReplyDelete