"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." ~ Will Rogers

I bring you slow greetings today, Monday, September 28, 2026. I said slow intentionally. I've been reading about what scientists know about how older people think. One common denominator turns out to be brain slowness. Everything works slower. Front to back, side to side, our thinking becomes slower as we get older. It is true: We older folks do indeed have a lot of information stored in our upstairs filing cabinets. As we engage our thinking, especially when we are dealing with changes or new information, we typically compare that to what we already know and what we have learned. That takes time. I've mentioned before how others saw me as exceptionally quick in my ability to respond when I was younger. Honestly, I haven't heard that one for some time now. Older people tend to be less negative. That's good. We no longer deal with much, if any, peer pressure. That's good. We also operate with less stress than we did when we were a part of the workforce. That's good. We have our history and what we have experienced, which can be used to help inform and advise others. That's also good. Here's one I really like: Age can be a really great excuse when I say the wrong thing or I forget something, like a name. Best of all, God doesn't see our age as a negative because, with His help, we can continue to be fruitful in serving Him and others. Many verses speak about how older people are to be respected and how they continue to be a vital part of God's plan and purpose. Last week at the Bible conference, we heard much about how each one needs to finish well the journey God has given in our sojourn here on the planet. That's what I would like to do. To finish well. What say you?

 

I shared this short story some time ago, but it is much more like the world the wife and I live in today. It is. It really is.  ~ An older couple were both having problems remembering things. During a checkup, the doctor tells them that they’re physically okay, but they might want to start writing things down to help them remember. Later that night, while watching TV, the old man gets up from his chair. ‘Want anything while I’m in the kitchen?’ he asks. ‘Will you get me a bowl of ice cream?’ ‘Sure.’ ‘Don’t you think you should write it down so you can remember it?’ she asks. ‘No, I can remember it.’ ‘Well, I’d like some strawberries on top, too. Maybe you should write it down, so’s not to forget it?’ He says, ‘I can remember that. You want a bowl of ice cream with strawberries.’ ‘I’d also like whipped cream. I’m certain you’ll forget that; write it down?’ she asks. Irritated, he says, ‘I don’t need to write it down; I can remember it! Ice cream with strawberries and whipped cream – I got it, for goodness sake!’ Then he toddles into the kitchen. After about 20 minutes, the old man returns from the kitchen and hands his wife a plate of bacon and eggs. She stares at the plate for a moment. ‘Where's my toast ?’ ~ I kid around about being older because I are one. The grammar program just left the building after that sentence, but here's what God has to say, Psalm 92:12-14: "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree... They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green." Let's get on with it. Amen.