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Hello and welcome to
the McCarty Metro. Don't forget to check out my 20th Anniversary
issue next month. Yes, my first issue as editor of literally
hundreds of paper and online editions was in October, 1991.
After traveling to
Oregon and visiting with
Chris, Amanda & Alexa last month, I realize something... I LOVE
KIDS! I guess it's probably because I really miss having some
around. My 3
little boys are all adults now. It has been years since they were
little. And now I'm a grandpa. In retrospect, I think both former first lady Lady Bird Johnson, who said "Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them."
and former President Herbert Hoover, who said "Children are our most valuable resource."
had it right.
I also loved being a kid. What fun I had "back in the day" growing up on Sussex
and then in the burbs - ridiculous fun. And what hope. I was changing so quickly and it seemed I could be limited only by my dreams. If I believed it might be possible, I felt I could make it so. There are
many gifts that come with youth, like optimism and the ability to change. When anything seems possible,
some things can become possible if you really put your mind to
it.
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But then, lo and behold, we age.
Don't hear a note of discouragement - it's just that even though I am in
my 50's, aging is something I am only slowly coming to embrace. It seems
to creep up on you like fog in the night; we awaken one morning and wonder how it got there. We
get old, whether we choose to or not.
Some people dread it while some some others will just totally deny it. They try to avoid the fact that they are growing older and their bodies are in decline.
I read that a woman who had ignored her failing eyesight for too long was asked, "How long have you worn glasses?" "Since yesterday," she replied. "As I was baking some tollhouse cookies I picked up the fly swatter and killed four chocolate chips." Some people deny aging and live as if nothing has
changed, or just try to avoid it. They worship youth and never become comfortable in their older,
and wrinkled skin. Most my friends my age, (except for me) say they
feel feel about 25. That is unless they didn't have their morning coffee, in which case
they feel 125!
There are also those who learn to laugh at aging.
Making jokes won't chase old age away, but laughter certainly makes it more bearable. A parody of the musical hit "My Favorite Things" is making the rounds
on the inter-web among oldsters. The song, inaccurately attributed to Julie Andrews, reminds us that it helps to laugh at what we can't change. "Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting, Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings, Bundles of magazines tied up in string; These are a few of my favorite things."
Well... You get the idea.
We may try to deny it or avoid it. We may complain about it or learn to laugh at it. But unless an accident or illness robs us of the chance to grow old, we'll all experience it, Which is...
ok. Youth does have its gifts, but so does getting older. When we age, we
replace "idealism" with "experience". Youth's
"enthusiasm" is now called "good judgment". And the
ability to "become anything you can imagine", is not called
"character; trustworthy and reliable"
These are the gifts of age. They take a lifetime to acquire and they are precious beyond belief.
And, in the meantime before I get too old.... I am looking forward to
spending some time this month with my kids, and my brand new
granddaughter, and I am going to cherish every minute of it.
Have a great September,
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Look forward to receiving our
monthly mailer, plus advance notice of all the latest news, podcasts, and special events.
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