Good morning and welcome to another day here at the ole blogger ranch. It is Monday, March 3, 2025, and I, sitting here at the computer keyboard, greet each one with a hearty hello along with wishes for a God blessed day. I am thinking today about the process we refer to as aging. I know people my age who are already struggling with declining functionality, especially when it comes to mental acuity. There are several popular YouTube series where folks who were once very prominent in their particular working field are now dealing with dementia to the extent they essentially wake up in a new world every day. In one, the son of an 80 year old records their conversations to illustrate the disabling characteristics of someone who was once very sharp but now can't even remember his own name from time to time. He often thinks he is still married to the son's mother even though they have been divorced for many years. It seems our appreciation for our own vulnerability with regards to age tends to be predicated on how we measure ourselves against others. I heard the other day a couple who are not young but they said it was hard to enjoy the cruise they were on because of all the 'old' people. They said they had never seen so many wheel chairs and walkers. See what I mean? We do have to take into consideration how many of us older folks are blessed to be living at a time whenever we can access medical treatments that enhance our sojourn here on the planet. Here's a stat for you: Over the past 160 years, life expectancy (from birth) in the United States has risen from 39.4 years in 1860, to 78.9 years in 2020. Chew on that one for a while!
I remember my wife's dad who suffered a catastrophic stroke at age 80. He was physically and mentally pretty much kaput, however, he could still quote scriptures and he could still sing Gospel songs, in fact, he could still sing the tenor part. I don't agree entirely with the quote from Andy Rooney because a person's spiritual well being and standing with the Lord does impact their outlook and attitude. I tried to think about some funny stories regarding myself in relationship to being 9 months plus 78 and 1/2 years old. I've seen some of the photos of myself asleep in the recliner, mouth wide open, doing what they used to say back home, "Catching flies." And, I will admit I do misplace things more often, however, I've observed younger folks who do so frequently as well. Yikes. Makes me wonder how they will be whenever they get older. I do the proverbial coming into a room trying to remember why, and, I do other things that make for a good laugh, hopefully, by myself too. That is part of the key. Being able to laugh at yourself. Sadly, dementia and other types of mental illnesses can alter an individual's personality. Sometimes what comes out is anger and bitterness. I've seen it. Up close and personal. My prayer is that I will somehow and someway not have it happen this way to me. And, for now, we need to enjoy our age. We did some amount of living to get here. Right?
Finally, to make a long story longer, I want to leave today's edition by sharing some of the old people sayings, many of which I have heard for most of my life. I thought some out there might enjoy seeing them again. I think it's neat to be able to hear some beloved ones from my past saying these exact words. Enjoy: ~ Many hands make light work. ~ A stitch in time saves nine. ~ Absence makes the heart grow fonder. ~ Never look a gift horse in the mouth. ~ People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. ~ Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. ~ Early to bed and early to rise makes you healthy, wealthy, and wise. ~ Any job worth doing is worth doing well. ~ The squeaky wheel gets the grease. ~ Can't never could. ~ You'll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. ~ The early bird catches the worm. ~ A rising tide lifts all boats. ~ Make hay while the sun shines. ~ You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs. ~ Strike while the iron is hot. ~ Every dog has its day. ~ Hurry up, we're burning daylight. ~ Don't cry over spilled milk. ~ A rolling stone gathers no moss. ~ It was like herding cats. ~ One man's trash is another man's treasure. ~ You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. ~ Beggars can't be choosers. ~ This isn't my first rodeo. ~ You're barking up the wrong tree. ~ The apple never falls far from the tree. ~ You're a day late and a dollar short. ~ It'll all come out in the wash. ~ Don't put the cart before the horse. ~ Don't count your chickens before they've hatched. ~ A watched pot never boils. ~ Too many cooks spoil the gravy. ~ Don't put all your eggs in one basket. ~ Don't take any wooden nickels. ~ Don't buy a pig in a poke. ~ You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. ~ If you lie down with dogs, you'll get up with fleas. ~ Pretty is as pretty does. ~ A trouble shared is a trouble halved. ~ Home is where the heart is. ~ Confession is good for the soul. ~ Share and share alike. ~ Bless your heart. ~ You're the cat's meow. ~ An apple a day keeps the doctor away. ~ There's more than one way to skin a cat. ~ If it had been a snake, it would have bitten you. ~ You're making a mountain out of a molehill. ~ It doesn't cut the mustard. ~ If it ain't broke, don't fix it. ~ Don't judge a book by its cover. ~ Birds of a feather flock together. ~ You're preaching to the choir. ~ More than you can shake a stick at. ~ It doesn't amount to a hill of beans. ~ As I live and breathe. ~ Oh my stars. ~ Heavens to Betsy. ~ Well, I hope you enjoyed those memorable sayings. Just so you know, I still use them today. I do. I really do. I would like to go like Moses, "Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone." (Deuteronomy 34:7) What say you? Have a great rest of the day and as always, may God add His blessings. Amen.
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