“You don't stop laughing when you grow old, you grow old when you stop laughing.” ― George Bernard Shaw

Well, well, and yes, that is a deep subject, it's also a way to welcome each one onto the front porch here at the ole blogger ranch, on this Thursday, January 25, 2018. Grab one of those chairs or sit a spell in the swing while I share a few thoughts for today. Aging and agility do not, based on my experience, go together very well. For me. Sure I hear it too. Aging gracefully. For me, that doesn't include my eye-hand coordination. Or my climbing. Or, just about anything I might do that requires physical movement. I'm not just talking about chasing the lid off a jar that goes rolling across the floor. Or, dropping one of the pills from my hand. The other day I needed to troubleshoot some issues with our furnace. That required me to venture up the ladder and into the attic. I can remember when the words bounded up the ladder would have applied. Now I no longer have to imitate Tim Conway doing the old man on the Carol Burnett Show. I can do it without a rehearsal. The Bible says, "Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling." (Proverbs 16:18) I have found this to be so true in my day by day carrying out of my duties. Sometimes I need help. The help is available. But, I do not avail myself of the help. Why? That verse most likely applies. At any rate, I do have the stumbling part down pretty good. At times I do have to look around hoping that no one saw me do what I just did. I don't know if this is a confession or nothing more than the sharing of facts from the aging reporter at the ole blogger ranch. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the opportunities to laugh at some of my own antics. You know. Conjure up the Three Stooges. Close enough. I think you get the picture.

The doctor did mention the 'E' word to me the other day. Exercise. I told him that I had walked the entire mall twice just last Saturday. That was a true statement and I hoped he would accept that as my final answer. He didn't. How much during the week? He's a little nosey if you ask me. I thought about saying that I smile a lot. You've heard that it uses a lot of muscles. Right? But, I held back on that one. I also canceled the idea of how many calories I burn up while eating. I knew that one wouldn't go anywhere. Surfing the internet? Shopping? Answering the phone? Typing? Watching TV? Working my recliner? Switching the lights on and off? I finally came up with this one. There are days when I am more actively engaged than others. At times, this does require me to do quite a bit of physical movement. He had that look on his face. Like, really? He finally nodded and moved on down his checklist. I could tell what he was thinking. "Okay, couch potato, enjoy it while you can." No. I am not a mind reader. But, there are times when I pretty much can pick up on the vibes. Wow! I should have told him about climbing that ladder multiple times up into the attic. Maybe that would have made him feel better, but, I doubt it. Maybe next time I will choose an overweight doctor.

I saw a video of a comedian talking about laughter. He said people ask him often how he is able to write jokes. He told them what he wonders when he looks around at the world is why everyone is not writing jokes. I am said to be a serious person. We would need all the king's men, horses, and a team of mental experts to fully explore that one. Yet, I do look for and find humor as I go about my daily life. I'm not into silly. Some see that as a fault on my part. But, to each his or her own. See how I included everyone in that statement? Culturally in tune, my friend, and sensitive too. Some even find humor in the Bible. Here's some I read the other day. ~ What was Adam's explanation to his children as to why they no longer lived in Eden? Your mother ate us out of house and home. ~ What kind of man was Boaz before he married? Ruth-less. ~ Okay. Those are lame and intended for children. There are, however, some real events in The Scriptures that do have humor in them. Some of the illustrations of Jesus were pretty funny. The word picture of the fellow pointing out the tiny splinter in his neighbor's eye while having a huge board stuck in his own eye must have brought forth some laughs. (Matthew 7) One we recently read from the Book of Acts involved the Apostle Paul, having been beaten and abused, he revealed his true Roman citizenship. That meant they had done what they did to him illegally. They feared this getting back to those above them and they begged him to leave, hoping to put him and the incident behind them. He refused to leave until he got good and ready. (Acts Chapter 16) I found that to be humorous. Okay. Remember this one from the famous writer, Charles Dickens,  "There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor." Enjoy, and may God add His blessings. Amen. ....More later.