Ever since I retired over two years ago I’ve had a lot of time to
think about things and life in general.
I’ve watched my body age, my hair thin, my waistline expand,
muscles that were once toned have started to sag (in fact a lot of things have
started to sag), my teeth are yellowing, I have more hair growing in my ears
and nose than on my head and my sexual urges have almost disappeared.
Time has seen me loose more friends than gain new ones. Things that seemed so important when I was
younger seem so trivial now.
I tend to do things at a slower pace and my recovery time from
exercising or injury has slowed. I have
more aches and pains than before and my memory is not as good as it once was.
I tend to get side-tracked and my hearing has dimmed, or at
least become more selective, ask my wife.
I’ve seen my kids grow up, celebrated the birth of my first
grandchild and mourned the death of two brothers and many friends.
My mom and dad are gone, as is my wife’s. We have a huge number of nephews and nieces
and great- great nephews and nieces.
When time affords me the opportunity to go back to Michigan
where I was born it’s never the same. I
feel like a stranger in a strange land.
It’s true what they say, ‘ you can never go home again.’
I’m not as patient as I once was. Little things annoy me.
As I grow older I've started to notice that reading books
and watching movies and TV seem redundant to me. After all there are only so many stories that
can be told certain ways.
Often I read a book and within a few chapters I already know
its inevitable outcome. The same thing
goes for movies, TV shows and other forms of entertainment.
I find myself thinking about the past and ‘the good old days’
when actually they weren’t that good as far as living conditions went.
Cars, electronics, communications, entertainment and all the
other trappings of today's modern society are much more efficient and easy to use
than in the past. Still, memory tends to
gloss such things over.
But, growing older does have its advantages.
As I mentioned before, things that concerned me so much at
an earlier age seem so trivial now.
Making a name for myself, establishing a career, catering to
other’s wants and needs and being a part of the ‘Rat Race’ has no appeal to me
now.
Family has become important.
Friends and loved ones are treasures.
Worshiping God takes top priority.
Trying to get others to accept Christ and being the best I can for
God-not because I have too, but because I want to.
Loving my wife and looking after her needs. Appreciating the small things like waking up
each morning, health, mobility, sight, smell, speech, taste, hearing, being
able to think and rationalize and trying new things.
I used to draw-I made a living from it. Now I seldom pick up a pencil. Instead I write: reviews, commentaries-it
doesn’t matter. I’ve become a veritable
wordsmith.
I love tinkering because now I have the time. I don’t worry about the small things and I’m learning
to take life one day at a time.
I cherish the past and all those that I had the privilege to
meet and love. I enjoy things and
trinkets from when I was a kid because now I understand their worth. Not so much monetarily, but their association
with time and events throughout my life.
I look forward to one day meeting my Savior and reuniting
with loved ones and dear friends.
Growing old has its disadvantages but the advantages far outweigh
them.
With age comes wisdom, clarity of thought and emotions and
the control of both. Things that are
really important come into focus while trivial, impractical and foolish things
fade away.
I’ve learned to accept myself as I am-as God created me-blemishes
and all.
I’ve also learned to accept others whether I agree with them
or not. Jealously, hatred and pettiness
are slowly disappearing as I have started to see others through the eyes of God.
I was never one to take a stand but as I age I find myself
proud of my opinions. I respect others
but refuse to bow down to social or immoral pressure.
Right and wrong are crystal clear and there is no such thing
as ‘gray areas’. Yes is yes and no is
no. Sin is sin and despite modern
society’s political correctness and distorted view of tolerance God has shown
me the true meaning of both.
I enjoy quiet time with no one around as equally as I do
meeting with family and friends. I have nothing
to prove and no one has anything to prove to me.
My passion for writing and collecting has intensified and
yet if at times it wanes I can accept it.
I’m in no hurry, I have no urgent task I must perform and it
has become evident to me that when this mortal life is over I still have all of
eternity to live thanks to God.