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In the past I have used these
pages to vent and to share with others so that we may all know how alike we
all really are. This time I want to address some issues that have presented
themselves to me lately, mainly...aging.
Let me go on record here that the upside is that I made it to the ripe old
age of 60...after all, I never planned on that event, in fact I never before
considered how I would feel about actually stating that number as
representative of any of my statistics at all. On the other hand, I never
thought much about NOT making it to that age, I mean, no plans have been
made for a funeral either. I avoid milestones of any kind, they seem to
distract me and upset my routine...but let me not digress.
Perhaps it is good to remain mindful of what makes us "us" - like our minds,
personalities and our very souls. Wisdom, experience and confidence are
valuable. Intellectually I know that is our real importance, but emotionally
I have some difficulty with the loss of the physical characteristics that we
usually relate to who (we think) we are. Since I have spent most of my past
life in the appearance enhancement business, it shouldn't be surprising that
this would be the first issue I felt needed to be dealt with. Still, I feel
so very guilty having concerns like these. How can I complain when I (so
far) have good health and safety, not to mention some of life's other
pleasures as well. My answer is, we can't always control our feelings
There was a first time that I looked into a mirror and didn't immediately
recognize the person there, or when I looked down and saw my mother's hands
at the ends of my arms. After that, all pictures I saw of myself were
surprisingly unflattering - oh it must be the camera(s), or the lighting,
whatever. The status I gained with maturity did little to soften those
blows.
Presently I am in serious talks with that person in the mirror, trying to
get to know her and become comfortable with her identity. She is fatter than
I, and has thinner hair. Her face has deeper lines than I remember I've had;
I think she has had to have some dental work done too. I'm determined to
make friends with her, after all, she is my future, but it's rough going.
Positive thinking and a sense of humor will be my tools of choice. Stick
around.....see what happens.
~
Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is
when we're kids?
If you're less than ten years old, you're so excited about aging that you
think in fractions.
"How old are you?" "I'm four and a half." You're never 36 and a
half....you're four and a half going on 5. You get into your teens; now they
can't hold you back. You jump to the next number. "How old are you?"
"I'm gonna be 16." You could be 12, but you're gonna be 16. Eventually.
Then the great day of your life; you become 21. Even the words sound like a
ceremony. You BECOME 21....Yes!!!!!
Then you turn 30. What happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk. He
TURNED; we had to throw him out. What's wrong? What changed? You BECOME 21;
you TURN 30. Then you're PUSHING 40....stay over there. You REACH 50.
You BECOME 21; you TURN 30; You're PUSHING 40; you REACH 50; then you MAKE
IT to 60.
By then you've built up so much speed, you HIT 70. After that, it's a
day-by-day thing. You HIT Wednesday... You get into your 80's; you HIT
lunch, you HIT 4:30. My Grandmother won't even buy green bananas. "Well,
it's an investment, you know, and maybe a bad one."
And it doesn't end there....
Into the 90's, you start going backwards. "I was JUST 92." Then a strange
thing happens; if you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm
100 and a half."
Happy aging!
Subject: THOUGHTS ON AGING
From: Collette Darden
Time Gets Better With Age (I didn't compose this...sounds that way but I
never found the author)
Age 5 I've learned that I like my teacher because she cries when we sings a
pretty song.
Age 7 I've learned that our dog doesn't want to eat my broccoli either.
Age 9 I've learned that when I wave to people in the country, they stop what
they are doing and wave back.
Age 12 I've learned that just when I get my room the way I like it, Mom
makes me clean it up again.
Age 14 I've learned that if you want to cheer yourself up, you should try
cheering someone else up.
Age 15 I've learned that although it's hard to admit it, I'm secretly glad
my parents are strict with me.
Age 24 I've learned that silent company is often more healing than words of
advice.
Age 26 I've learned that brushing my child's hair is one of life's great
pleasures.
Age 29 I've learned that wherever I go, the world's worst drivers have
followed me there.
Age 30 I've learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must
live so that no one will believe it.
Age 42 I've learned that there are people who love you dearly but just don't
know how to show it.
Age 44 I've learned that you can make some one's day by simply sending them
a little note.
Age 46 I've learned that the greater a person's sense of guilt, the greater
his or her need to cast blame on others.
Age 47 I've learned that children and grandparents are natural allies.
Age 48 I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today,
life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.
Age 49 I've learned that singing "Amazing Grace" can lift my spirits for
hours.
Age 50 I've learned that motel mattresses are better on the side away from
the phone.
Age 51 I've learned that you can tell a lot about a man by the way he
handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled cords.
Age 52 I've learned that keeping a vegetable garden is worth a medicine
cabinet full of pills.
Age 53 I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents,
you miss them terribly after they die.
Age 58 I've learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a
life.
(Here's what I have learned by 60....
I've learned to appreciate the people in my life and realize how valuable
they are. These people are my "rocks". They love me, they MUST or they
wouldn't still be here with me. It took many years to iron out all the kinks
in our relationships and for us to love our faults. )
Age 61 I've learned that if you want to do something positive for your
children, work to improve your marriage.
Age 62 I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.
Age 64 I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catchers mitt
on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.
Age 65 I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But if
you focus on your family, the needs of others, your work, meeting new
people, and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.
Age 66 I've learned that whenever I decide something with kindness, I
usually make the right decision.
Age 72 I've learned that everyone can use a prayer.
Age 75 I've learned that it pays to believe in miracles. And to tell the
truth, I've seen several.
Age 82 I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.
Age 90 I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone.
People love that human touch-holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly
pat on the back.
Age 92 I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.
And I quote....
The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30
years of his life.
- Muhammad Ali
Don't believe everything you think.
- anon
If you are going through hell, keep going.
- Sir Winston Churchill
I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually
happened.
- Mark Twain
It's never too late to be what you might have been.
- George Eliot
"I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.
I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are
making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out."
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
Socrates
If the automobile had followed the same development as the computer, a
Rolls-Royce would today cost $100, get a million miles per gallon, and
explode once a year killing everyone inside.
Robert Cringely
Common sense is not so common.
Voltaire
Nothing will work unless you do.
Maya Angelou
The powder is mixed with water and tastes exactly like powder mixed with
water.
Art Buchwald
In two decades I've lost a total of 789 pounds. I should be hanging from a
charm bracelet.
Erma Bombeck
Thanks for stoppin' by.....
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