Message to you, Friends, Family and Readers – Reflections – July 2018
Last Thursday, July 19, 2018 was my Fifty-Fourth birthday. Born in 1964, I remember being fifteen, and pondering, “at the turn of the century I’ll be thirty-six” – Twice my age which seemed pretty far away to a teenager, though it’s now deep in my rear-view mirror.
Many dread birthdays as if they are attempting to hold on to the reins of time. In fact I vividly recall in High School literature the teacher asking us by a show of hands how long we thought we might live. He asked in increments of ten. Shocking to think that 90% of the students thought they would be dead by age forty or fifty. But my attitude is – more birthdays, please! You may have even heard me state, “it’s sure better than the alternative.” Bring ‘em on! Because rather than perceiving them as signs of aging, I regard them as worthy achievements — I successfully hit the next milestone and I’m still in the game.
I guess it’s normal about this time to begin to reflect on what I traded nearly five and a half decades in for, what I have to show for a life well-lived to this point.
I’m still surprised when I look in the mirror and see the face that looks back at me. I don’t feel any different from how I felt at 20 or 30 – my hair is still growing in thick, okay, there are a few gray strands here and there. However, my soul is still a brilliant purple. For some, the mid fifties might signal the last stretch before retirement sets in or feeling like life has already gone by. I feel I’m not even halfway.
It is pretty amazing at how much information we actually have access to at our finger tips compared to 50 years ago. According to Independent online in 2016 the oldest living person was discovered in Indonesia, Mbah Gotho has official identification showing his birth date to be December 1870.
I also find my mind wandering occasionally toward legacy – it’s too soon to be polishing trophies, with so much more life to look forward to, but I do contemplate, what impact am I having? What difference do I make? Do I matter, and if so, how much and why?
Ruminations like these spur elders to reconnect with purpose, to summon whatever youthfulness and vitality are still available and plunge headlong into more usefulness and productivity.
You may be curious about any significant distinctions I made in my five decades and four. It seems that my once ponderously personal philosophies have matured to a more elegant simplicity, crystallizing around just a few basic tenets. Continue to create as much good as possible. Be helpful to others. Be grateful for what you have. Say “I’m sorry” when you mess up. Be kind and humble. Realize that the most important things in life, like happiness, love, health and success, are lived inside-out. Take care of your brain and body, so you have a place to live. Protect the planet, we all need a place to live. Who you are determines how well what you do works. The past doesn’t equal the future. Learn to laugh often. And finally, if it quacks like a duck, looks like a duck, walks like a duck and smells like a duck, it’s probably a duck.
Is that it? I must say, with all I have to appreciate over my lifetime, my great family, the work that I do, although I do not consider it work, I continue to find rewarding that I believe truly helps people, creative endeavors I consider fulfilling, many comforts that only a small part of the world has been blessed to enjoy, and be happy and comfortable and I still get to touch and serve those I care about, I wouldn’t put my card back in the deck to pick another one.
Fifty-four? So far, so good. I wonder what’s next?
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