"The older I get, the better I was." - Anonymous.

Greetings folks. Today is Friday, March 21, 2025. I do hope today's visit finds each one doing. That's right. Doing. The best we know how. Right?  For those in the audience who can be called seasoned adults like myself or perhaps you prefer one of the following: Senior citizen, retired person, pensioner, old-age pensioner (OAP), old person, elderly person, elder, Methuselah, patriarch, senior, retiree, golden-ager, super-annuitant, old-timer, oldie, ancient. Those are the positive ones. Here are a few of the less than respectful ways to call us out: Old-fogey, wrinkly, senile, or past-it. Oh well, I are one, so I just wanted to share some old person perspectives this morning. One of my most persistent frustrations involves the labeling of almost anything as being Easy Open. As my Uncle Claude would have said it, "Easy open my foot, foot fire, foot fire!" The photo above shows one example. I've included my prescription for dealing with so called easy open packaging: The Cleaver! I hear you. What about cutting yourself with the cleaver? At least I know exactly where the emergency room is because had I continued to try and solve the puzzle on that package, well, I would not have needed stitches, I would have needed a straight jacket. I saw an old clip of Red Skelton, one of the comedic giants from the past, (1913-1937) and commenting on his 60 years doing comedy, he said this, "I wake up every morning and if I don't smell candles burning or the fragrance of flowers surrounding me, I get up!" 

Yes. I know opening packaging has to do with dexterity and grip. One of the things I haven't lost is my ability to laugh. Lost yet. I pray that I will not even as I await my transition to my arrival home. (Heaven) I was determined to get that package open without the cleaver, but, after a minute of messing with it, well, let's just say, the cleaver won. A wholesome belly laugh will do anyone some good. Here's the famous Bible quotation from Proverbs Chapter 17, Verse 22: "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones". There's a lot of speculation about how to apply this verse, but, the bottom line does involve joy and the expression of that joy with laughter. Here are a few thoughts I found on Facebook that might just bring a smile. 

 

~ I'm not saying I'm getting old, I'm just saying that my dinner time and bed time are now getting dangerously close to each other.

 

~ I don't mind getting older but my body is kinda having a hissy fit about it.

 

~ I hate to admit it but I sometimes get some road rage just walking behind someone in the grocery store.

 

~ I just saw two older folks jogging down the street. It motivated me. I got up and shut the blinds.

 

~ The older I get it's the more I understand why Noah only allowed animals on the boat.

 

~ Here's a tip for you. Keep a few get well cards on your mantle. That way people who visit will understand why you haven't been able to clean.

 

~ Conventional wisdom tells us to listen to our body. Why is it mine is always telling me I'm old and I need some candy?

 

~ I'm wearing pink today to honor all those who forgot to separate the reds from the whites in the laundry.

 

~ The only air conditioning I had growing up was an open window and a prayer for wind.

 

~ I threw away some of those energy bars and I just noticed the raccoons are in the backyard bench pressing the neighbors trash cans.

 

~ I heard a fellow say he ordered a book off the internet that would tell him how to scam people. That was three months ago and he is still waiting.

 

~ I like to tell people to have a rest of the day as pleasant as they are, and, then I watch them trying to figure out whether or not it was a compliment.

 

Maybe, just maybe, one of those brought an upturn at the corners of your mouth. If not, well, so be it. Here's one I will leave with you. As of this day I am fully persuaded of my truth because I know how I made it, I made it by grace, God's amazing grace! Have a great rest of this day, (make it as pleasant as you are), a great Saturday, and then get ready for a brand new week by showing up at the assembling of the saints at the designated meeting place, (Church), where one can hear from God and enjoy the much needed fellowship with others. May God bless each one! Amen.