An Old Man

A piece of English homework with only “An Old Man” as my title. It was to use adjectives etc to bring the character to life. I may have gotten a bit carried away.

Uncle Jim had grown petite in his years of seniority. Humble, amiable, and tender hearted he was greatly respected by all. Although the healthy bones in his body were no longer what they used to be, he was active and fit compared to the majority of the elderly who were his age. When he had been a youthful, strapping adolescent he had been dedicated to his athletics, but now a days he settled for periodic strolls beside the never ending, ever changing ocean.

Uncle Jim adored being outside in the open. It was heavenly to him to settle upon a weathered bench and  just gaze for hours, as the sea lulled him into a deep sleep. However often enough, Uncle Jim would return home with a brand new, unique shell or stone to add to his ever growing collection.

You could say he noticed beauty in things which most people never saw. Uncle Jim appreciated the little things, living in a way that he never held any regrets. Aware, that the day he would pass over, he would be content with the way he’d lived his quite ordinary life. Hence, Uncle Jim never rushed anywhere. Leisurely and nonchalantly taking his time to where ever he was heading to. Sometimes stopping in order to converse with the village folk if he so wished.

Normally, he would set off early, predicting before hand how long everything would take. He was consistently punctual to every event, organised or unorganised. Uncle Jim was well known to be an excellent listener, generally nodding silently with an understanding smile upon his lips. Only interjecting when he felt it necessary.

Upon the top of his head, Uncle Jim wore a dark green, oval shaped hat. It hid the growing bald patch which had been expanding as of late. What was left of his thin, straight hair was well groomed and grey. These days his face was wrinkled with age,  which seemed only to emphasise his small eyes. Clear as the sky they shined an astonishing, blue grey colour. The way he smiled was soft and warm which matched the small chuckle he would occasionally make.

As you can probably imagine, Uncle Jim knew how to take care of himself. However things like clothing had always been but a mere tool for his comfort. Layers were key to his changeable “fashion sense”. You see, Uncle Jim was regularly cold, so he delighted in wearing extra layers. Even if it did make him seem a little larger than he actually was. His shoes on the other hand were all of impeccable quality. He highly valued the importance of one’s feet. He believed that they were something to be treasured, and so only those deemed best fit, were fitted snug on the old man's feet.