It is Not Yesterday! It is Not Tomorrow! It is Today!
I was young once and I was middle-aged for a time. Those phases of my life are gone. I am now old. I actually don't mind. Each phase of my life has provided new and different experiences. Some were good, some were bad; however, they all provided opportunities for me to learn and grow as a person.
A lot of people today have somehow arrived at the conclusion that describing someone as being old is improper, inappropriate, insulting, or disrespectful. For the record, I am not a "senior citizen", I am not your "sweetie", and if you ever address me as "young man", prepare to defend yourself.
Nothing irritates me more than the pronouncement that the sixties is the new middle-age. Unless it is generally anticipated that I will probably live to be 134 years-old, being in my sixties is not middle-aged. I am old! Get over it! I have.
The above statements should not be interpreted as a bitter rant, driven by frustration, depression, or anger. They are merely the truth. Political correctness and sensitivity have run amok in this country. Some people are so afraid of hurting someone's feelings or being considered uncaring or insensitive, they have allowed common sense and logic to be usurped by the clever phrase of the day, dreamed up by someone who apparently had nothing better to do with their time.
My life has been pretty great so far. There have been a few bad times, some sad events, and the occasional disappointment. There have also been many good times, some very happy events, and more successes than failures. Whenever I am having a particularly bad day, I read the news. Without fail, there are always a few stories about someone who is having a much, much worse time of it than I.
Too many people spend so much of their life dwelling on the past and fretting about the future that they squander the present. Yesterday cannot be changed and tomorrow cannot be precisely predicted, so focus upon making the most of today. We should learn from past mistakes, make the best of what's happening now, and prepare as well as we can for what may come.
I am extremely grateful for having been given the opportunity to be a part of this thing called existence. I continue to enjoy it and am still occasionally surprised and fascinated by it. When the time finally does arrive for me to cease to exist, I hope to depart with my dignity and pride intact.
One of my favorite movies is "The Last Hurrah", starring Spencer Tracy. In the final scene, Mr. Tracy's character, Mayor Frank Skeffington, is dying and in a semi-coma. Loved ones surround his bed. His long-time adversary, the Catholic bishop of the diocese, is also present. The bishop declares,"One thing for certain, if given the chance to live his life over again, he would certainly do things differently." Tracy's character immediately opens his eyes, and with his final breath, says, "The hell I would!". I sincerely believe that, under similar circumstances, I would be able to say the same.
A lot of people today have somehow arrived at the conclusion that describing someone as being old is improper, inappropriate, insulting, or disrespectful. For the record, I am not a "senior citizen", I am not your "sweetie", and if you ever address me as "young man", prepare to defend yourself.
Nothing irritates me more than the pronouncement that the sixties is the new middle-age. Unless it is generally anticipated that I will probably live to be 134 years-old, being in my sixties is not middle-aged. I am old! Get over it! I have.
The above statements should not be interpreted as a bitter rant, driven by frustration, depression, or anger. They are merely the truth. Political correctness and sensitivity have run amok in this country. Some people are so afraid of hurting someone's feelings or being considered uncaring or insensitive, they have allowed common sense and logic to be usurped by the clever phrase of the day, dreamed up by someone who apparently had nothing better to do with their time.
My life has been pretty great so far. There have been a few bad times, some sad events, and the occasional disappointment. There have also been many good times, some very happy events, and more successes than failures. Whenever I am having a particularly bad day, I read the news. Without fail, there are always a few stories about someone who is having a much, much worse time of it than I.
Too many people spend so much of their life dwelling on the past and fretting about the future that they squander the present. Yesterday cannot be changed and tomorrow cannot be precisely predicted, so focus upon making the most of today. We should learn from past mistakes, make the best of what's happening now, and prepare as well as we can for what may come.
I am extremely grateful for having been given the opportunity to be a part of this thing called existence. I continue to enjoy it and am still occasionally surprised and fascinated by it. When the time finally does arrive for me to cease to exist, I hope to depart with my dignity and pride intact.
One of my favorite movies is "The Last Hurrah", starring Spencer Tracy. In the final scene, Mr. Tracy's character, Mayor Frank Skeffington, is dying and in a semi-coma. Loved ones surround his bed. His long-time adversary, the Catholic bishop of the diocese, is also present. The bishop declares,"One thing for certain, if given the chance to live his life over again, he would certainly do things differently." Tracy's character immediately opens his eyes, and with his final breath, says, "The hell I would!". I sincerely believe that, under similar circumstances, I would be able to say the same.
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