Nora Johnson, long divorced, wasn't looking for love when she met George, a widowed 83-year-old. It just happened.
Watch her story in this New York Times video.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and complete the blanks in the transcript with the missing words.
The activity is suitable for intermediate students.
Modern Love: Falling in Love at 71 from NYT Video on Vimeo.
When I met George I was not looking for anybody, and the (1) ... that I was in love was ridiculous at the age of 71, I really shouldn’t be doing this.
Getting ready to go out when I was younger was much more complicated than it had to be, ‘oh, my God these stockings have a (2) ... , girdles and garter belts’. Much (3) ... around with make-up, which really was unnecessary when you’re 21, I mean people are so pretty at 21 they don’t need make-up.
When I’m getting ready for a date at 71 I kind of do it in five minutes. Finding things in common with somebody… I remember that was (4) ... , I would go out with a young man, and we both liked Chinese food that made me feel we were (5) ... .
Dating is different at 71 because you do have less time and we went to bed a lot faster than I would have gone (6) ... there wasn’t much time for that either.
George loved women and I was always glad I hadn’t met him thirty, forty years ago because I wouldn’t have been able to stand it. But by the time I met him he couldn’t run very far. There is a (7) ... , somebody wasn’t going to last very long, because he was older it was going to be George. I didn’t feel like I was (8) ... die if George left me. At 21 I really felt if the (9) ... turned around and left me I would just die. When it was George I knew I would survive. I have a little more (10) ... than I had before.
You can also read the related New York Times article Age is no obstacle to Love or Adventure.
Key:
1) realization 2) runner 3) fooling 4) thrilling 5) soulmates 6) ‘cause 7) sadness 8) gonna 9) guy 10) sensibility
