On Becoming the Elder

Who knew that after that 18th birthday life would become jet propelled, that what was a dream yesterday (to be grown) is now almost a faded memory. Sure, some of those old people, as seen through our teen-age eyes, tried to warn us about the speed of life, but the arrogance of youth refused to listen and heed the signs along the way. I think that though our bodies age and change, our minds remain stuck somewhere between 18 and 21. This is why we keep asking ourselves, as we peer into those too honest mirrors, "What happened?" Still, even as we wrestle with our age and aging, we are pretty sure of ourselves and our longevity until, that is, a parent becomes ill and death spits in our face as it comes to remove him or her from our presence.

In my view, we do not truly become adults, absolute freestanding adults, until we lose our parent(s), when we can no longer call, or call on, Mother or Father, Mommy or Daddy. Until that moment, as adult as we may perceive ourselves to be, the child we think we have outgrown seems to always show up when we are in the presence of a parent, the child who sometimes still wants that parent's attention and/or approval. But, as much as we may rail against it, there is nothing we can do to delay the inevitable. One day we will consider our parent(s) place and he or she will be no more. Yes, one day we will be the elders in the family and when we look back over our lives, aloud or in our minds, (an apparent right bestowed upon every elder), we will eventually take out our regrets as well as our unrealized hopes and dreams. What shall we do with these life leftovers? Shall we mourn and bewail our lot, or shall we embrace each new day and move forward with purpose in spite of our aching knees and graying roots? True, some people will reach that elder stage in life with all that he or she ever hoped they would have in material possessions, but, to paraphase Peggy Lee, is that all there is to this journey? Just the abundance of things? And if we rest on our laurels, will we ever look to that new sunrise that reminds us that the day is not done, that there is more hope upon which we can rise? What shall we do with our accumulated knowledge and the by-product of its application, wisdom? Maybe we should not wait until we are the elder before we begin to consider our place and our path. Perhaps, the time is now, before we become the elder and perhaps it begins with telling that parent, "Thank You."

Just a Thought

I am a thinker, though it is probably more about my picking at the scabs of my life than any great wisdom or knowledge. Sometimes, a thought or a sentence gets stuck in my head and goes around and around and around, sort of like that song or jingle you can't get out of your mind. The only way I can free myself is to write, so I write until the thought or sentence no longer cries out for release. It is my way of thinking out loud and from time to time I will think out loud in this blog. These are my thoughts; welcome to them.