It occurred to me after leaving the house yesterday how out of date are mum's complaints about dad. Maybe he didn't do much in the old days, and she did. Maybe. All that is ancient history now. So dad still does practically nothing, but look who's talking!

Mum can hardly claim to be the harried housewife, dutiful and attentive, these days. She literally doesn't know what the washing machine is. She, of the two of them, is the one to sometimes show little interest in the arrival of visitors, and she is the antisocial one when it comes to making friends or getting out of the house. At least dad does a bit of shopping, no matter how chaotic it is. At least he calls us when they need help. So I conclude that dad, regardless of past offences, is now being unfairly attacked. It's a case of the kettle calling the pot 'sooty-bottom'.

Mum is either harbouring historical grudges or she is getting stuck in cognitive ruts, rerunning past patterns of behaviour - habits of thought - simply because they are well-worn and require no conscious navigator.

These days they can both claim innocence. It is often a mistake to think of senility as a return to childhood, but in some ways old people do deserve the indulgence afforded children. There should probably be special relaxed laws for people who get past a certain age. They ought to be allowed to cheat on their tax, appear naked in public, ride the buses without paying, and talk in libraries. The rest of us wouldn't like it, of course, but it would be something for us to look forward to.

Perhaps there could be a sliding scale of responsibility: 'The defendant's brain volume has decreased by 30% due to atrophy, your honour, so I apply for a commensurate reduction in the fine.'
'Granted.'
'Thank you, m'lud.'

Mmm, perhaps a non-linear scale would have to be figured out.

Other issues of the day...

Following a casual remark made at the day care centre, dad has spent over an hour pestering mum about her going; he even tried to recruit me on his side of the argument. Well-intentioned, but very counter-productive.

Dad told me he only had $25. I disputed this, and after a recount he told me it was $175! That was a relief to me. If he had really only got $25 it would have meant that he had been diddled at the mall this afternoon.

Seems like we're all innocent today.