HOME | POLITICS | SPORTS | LIFE | SCI/TECH | OPEDS | HELPFUL TIPS
|
July 29, 2004 When you get older people ask you a lot about getting old. It bothers some old people, not me. I don’t consider myself old. I know I’m old but I don’t feel old, I don’t look old and I don’t act old. People who act old and think old get a lot older a lot sooner, not me. An old friend was explaining the advantages of old age to me. He said when your old you can pretend you're hard of hearing so you don’t have to listen to people who bore you. You can get away with saying things that offend people. They consider your getting senile. When you're expected to pick up a check for something you can walk away, people think you’re forgetful. You get better prices on things. You can get faster service by pretending your disabled. If you’re really convincing you can get a handy-cap parking tag. Children are usually afraid of you that’s a big plus. My friend was beginning to make sense. Acting old did have its advantages. I was told [a thousand years ago], “The art of getting old is not acting old”. I’ve tried to follow that advice as close as possible over the years. When I was in my teens I would look at people over fifty and try to envision reaching that age, you have no idea how difficult that was for me. Those people slightly stooped with graying hair and a less than pleasant attitude were a mystery to me. I thought what’s the point; if you can’t enjoy life why stick around. I’m sure seeing some of those people I thought if I ever get to that point I’ll take a long ride on a short pier. Of course now that I’m closing in on that stage of my life I know why they don’t take the ride ending it all. Misery is better than the alternative. I think the thing I miss most about my youth is the respect we gave older people. Today older people seem to be brushed aside. Seniors are considered somewhat useless. They know they have all this knowledge from sixty, seventy or even eighty years of living and no one is willing to listen to them. All they spent lifetime learning is wasted. No one cares. There is one area seniors are more informed than the average person, politics. Senior posses common sense more of an instinct for truth. Been there, done that. They know from past experience what’s true and what’s hot air. I find myself extremely lucky. I can shave twenty years from my age and its believable. I don’t look seventy-three, I don’t act seventy-three. I’m as healthy as a horse as they say. [It’s true I’m not making this up, I can show you my baby pictures] This is probably because I listen to those little endorphins [God] who travel the hi-ways of my mind planting all the marvelous information that keeps me fair and balanced. It’s to complicate to explain but it works for me. God gave me the intelligence to separate the Bull from the Corn. I operate on the theory if it doesn’t sound feasible it probably isn’t. If I were in that position what would I do? It doesn’t take much to sway some people from position to position, not me. I try to evaluate all I’m told before making up my mind. That comes from years of being snowed or from people trying to snow me. That’s an advantage of old age. When you’ve heard it all and they’re trying to tell it to you again you don’t buy it. Usually a truth detector kicks in and sounds the warning bells. I look at John Kerry, John Edwards and George W. Bush I think how young these candidates seem. Then I realize it all in the prospective. The older I get the younger everyone else looks. I’m sure many voters look at them and think, can’t we find someone younger to elect President? The Democratic Convention is in force this week soon it will be the Republicans turn. Keep your truth meters turned up high. Most of what you’ll hear will never come to fruition. Politicians promise much and deliver very little. America isn’t suffering the problem we’re told. I’ve heard all these things for years. They bring them out every election to scare the hell out of people. The politician’s crystal ball isn’t any clearer than yours. In order for governments to prosper they need an enemy to protect the people from. Each in their own time in their own way I think this is my third article on aging. No I’m not getting worried. I ran into a coupe of elderly gentleman yesterday. I was a-gassed at their outlook on life. Not Me, No, No, No, Never. I will never join that aging population of malcontents. ------------ About the Author: Ken Hughes is a retired businessman. A political junkie who's passion is the re-education of Liberals and Term Limits for Congress. He has had very little sucess at either. Email Ken Hughes: uncleken@sbcglobal.net Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
