Yes it does! My granddaughter approved of this title. She liked it better than “From My Rocking Chair.” So do I. That one dates you, she complained. I laughed. Everything today does!
But no matter.
Age should be worn like a badge of honor, out there for the world to see. So what if there are lines on our faces! Those are places where our smiles have been. Okay, maybe some are furrows from tears of sorrow. That’s awesome. Today they have etched indelible marks of wisdom and compassion on our souls.
Sometimes we slip into moments of insecurity, moments of dark self-pity. Too often, we feel useless, discarded, forgotten. It is like we no longer matter, like life has passed us by.
Get out of that rut, my friend! Throw those thoughts away. Don’t sulk and mope because it is raining. Get out there and dance in the rain!
I have this feisty friend who just turned 81. When the world says she can’t do it, she dares it to “watch and see”! She is vital, busy, valuable and wise. Once, bypassed by a younger co-worker (yes she still works!) she protested: “Hey, you have buried me and I am still alive. I won’t let this happen. Put away your shovels, folks. I’m still alive and kicking.”
Lonely phase
I make light of this very important and sometimes terribly lonely phase of life. But it is imperative to put a rein on those thoughts. It may be time to pick up our toys, but the game is far from over.
There is a vast difference between being alone and being lonely. Loneliness and solitude are worlds apart. Being happy with oneself is key in making that solitude a tranquil, peaceful and delightful experience.
Some young people are oblivious of the value of people of age. In their breathless race to fulfill their heart’s desires, they run us down without so much as a backward glance. We’re too old, too slow—in cell-phone parlance, low-batt.
I refuse to be treated like an obstacle on the road or a barnacle on the side of a luxury liner. I would like to think of myself as a beacon of safety and wisdom to the unsuspecting sailor, on his first voyage beyond familiar shores.
And this is why I keep my lights bright, my lamps oiled, and my whistle sharp and clear. I will be the beacon, whether the sailor wants me or not.
We are forever learning. At any age.
Fabulous thing
The information highway is available and open to people of all ages! It is amazing to see little children embark on it without fear or hesitation. It took me a while to get adventurous. But once I got the hang of it, thanks to my bright young grandchildren, I was on my way!
The Internet is a fabulous thing! Whatever did we do without it? The social networks may be a pain for some, but I love Facebook. True, the ever-changing formats are annoying, but I love the way it has connected me with old friends and family! There is no longer an excuse for not keeping in touch.
I still can’t get over the new words. What is “friending”? Did you know that the word “texting” is just as grammatically incorrect? I see screaming red lines under both. What is a blog? And how does one tweet? I thought tweeting was for the birds. Whatever!
I have found long lost classmates, former neighbors, people who touched my life in meaningful ways. How many years have passed? Is it possible that it has been that long? Hand in hand with the joyful online reunions, there have been sad discoveries of friends no longer with us. But thanks to the new technologies, bonds have been restored.
Joyful expectation
Some of us go through life wondering what life is all about. We get so involved trying to figure it out that we forget to really live. We worry so much about how it will end, that we fill our hours with anxiety and dread instead of joyful expectation.
At our age, life should be at its best. We have the wealth of experience and a treasure of memories. As I continue on this journey, I will make sure to enrich it with more of the same.
This will be my measure of success:
“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you lived. This is to have succeeded.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson