We’ve been around the block a few times — even as the blocks seem to get longer and the body slower. We have learned to accept the blessings and burdens of life while embracing our age. And since the days when we thought we knew it all, we have learned many lessons and hopefully are a bit wiser.
Because of our age, we are often thought of as vast storage containers of wisdom. But if someone asked me what wisdom I would share, I’m not sure what I would say. “It is what it is,” or “It could be worse,” or “Never pass up a chance to use the restroom!”
But what advice would you share with some young 50-something who still has so much to learn?
To prime your thinking, here is some advice that circulated in the Internet world several years ago.
1. Stop worrying about the financial situation of your children and grandchildren, and don’t feel bad spending your money on yourself. The responsibility is now theirs to earn their own money.
2. Keep a healthy life, without great physical effort. Do moderate exercise like walking every day, eat well, and get your sleep.
3. Don’t stress over the little things. You’ve already overcome so much in your life. You have good memories and bad ones, but the important thing is the present. Don’t let the past drag you down, and don’t let the future frighten you. Feel good in the now.
4. Always stay up to date. Keeping in touch with what is going on and with the people you know is important at any age.
5. Respect the younger generation and their opinions. They may not have the same ideals as you, but they are the future and will take the world in their direction. Give advice, not criticism, and try to remind them that yesterday’s wisdom still applies today.
6. Some people embrace their golden years, while others become bitter and surly. Life is too short to waste your days on the latter. Spend your time with positive, cheerful people; it’ll rub off on you and your days will seem that much better.
7. Don’t abandon your hobbies. If you don’t have any, make new ones. Find something you like and spend some real time enjoying it.
8. Even if you don’t feel like it, try to accept invitations: Baptisms, graduations, birthdays, weddings. Try to go. Get out of the house, meet people you haven’t seen in a while, experience something new — or something old.
9. Pain and discomfort go hand in hand with getting older. Try not to dwell on them but accept them as a part of the cycle of life we’re all going through.
10. If you’ve been offended by someone, forgive them. If you’ve offended someone, apologize. Don’t drag around resentment with you. It only serves to make you sad and bitter.
11. Laugh a lot. Laugh at everything. Find the humor in your situation.
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Brain Tease: Identify these well-known proverbs from the following phrases. For example, if the phrase is: “Rap upon timber,” the answer is “Knock on wood.”
1. Members of an avian species of identical plumage congregate.
2. Each vaporous mass suspended in the firmament has an interior decoration of metallic hue.
3. To place a primitive agricultural conveyance in a position anterior to the animal Equus caballus.
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The host of the Sunday night television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, was Ed Sullivan.
It’s been a hectic month, and once again, I need to wait until next week to list everyone who turned in the correct answer for last week’s “Remember When” question, not because of medical appointments (both the Cochlear Implant and cataract surgeries went well), but because Rita and I will be heading to the coast to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. She is an amazing woman and my best friend — and not just because she has tolerated my bad jokes for all these years!
This show was first broadcast in 1950, but it has had a lasting influence on television comedies by popularizing the sketch comedy format. For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name of the 90-minute live variety show that starred Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788, or send it with a video copy of the comedy sketch “From Here to Obscurity.”
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Well, it’s been another week, playing the cards I had hidden under the table. Until we meet again, you can’t drive to where you want to go by only looking in the rearview mirror.
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Nutritious home-delivered and in-person meals are available at noon Monday through Friday unless otherwise noted.
Seniors of Mosier Valley (541-980-1157) — Wednesdays with music on second and fourth Wednesdays; Mt. Hood Town Hall (541-308-5997) — Tuesdays; Hood River Valley Adult Center (541-386-2060); Sherman County Senior and Community Center (541-565-3191); The Dalles Meals-on-Wheels (541-298-8333).
For meal sites in Washington, call Klickitat County Senior Services: Goldendale office (509-773-3757) or the White Salmon office (509-493-3068), and in Skamania County call Senior Services (509-427-3990).
Answers:
1. Birds of a feather flock together.
2. Every cloud has a silver lining.
3. Putting the cart before the horse.
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