My Dad Used To Say:
“The Older I Get,
The Dumber I Get -
And - I -
Ain’t Gittin’ Any Younger!”
Factoid One - We Are Born!
Factoid Two - We Live!
Factoid Three - We Die!
Factoid Four - We Have No Control Over One And Three!
Factoid Five - HOW We Live Is All Up To US!
Our Origin, or Place of Birth Could Be Anywhere!
Circumstances Beyond Our Control Start Us Off.
Country - City - Town - Rural - Farm?
Rich - Poor - Opulence - Poverty?
Silver Spoon - No Spoon?
Culture - Food - Lifestyle - Religion?
Assets - or The Lack Thereof?
Rudimentary And Elementary Education?
Mores - Norms - Customs - Traditions?
All These And More Are Variables!
Some Religions, Cultures, Say At Age Seven -
We Reach “The Age of Reason” -
The Ability To Tell Right From Wrong!
Others, At Age Thirteen or So -
Say We Have “Come of Age!”
Almost Adults - “Teenagers” -
Expected to Accept More Responsibility!
But Do We Really?
Those ‘Wings’ Have Yet to Appear -
Perhaps Just Little ‘Nubs’ on Our Backs?
“All Work And No Play Make Jack a Dull Boy!’
These Are Formative Years of Experimentation -
A Time of Discovery - Some Bumps And Bruises Acquired -
Trying to Figure Out Just -
Who We Are - and - What We Want!
Many Choices Have to Be Made -
Paths Must Be Selected -
This-A-Way - or - That-A-Way?
“The Golden Rule” Is Replaced By -
Statutes - Laws - Regulations - Edicts - Fiats!
Then, Afore You Know It -
Bing! Bam! Thank You Ma’am!
Age Twenty-One!
Adulthood Hits Us Like - ‘A Ton of Bricks!”
You Are Now Responsible For Everything!
Did You Learn Your A-B-C’s Properly?
What About That Oft’ Dreaded Subject - Math?
Now - You Must ‘Dot Your I’s”
And Watch Your ‘P’s and Q’s!’
Did You Eat Your Peas? Your Spinach?
OMG - This ‘Life’ Stuff Is Gittin’ Serious!
Did I Make My Bed? Must I Lie In It?
Why This? Why That? Why Me, Lord?
WHY? WHY? WHY?
Why Is This So Difficult?
“Growing Pains” - “No Pain, No Gain!”
Which Path Did We Choose in High School?
Commercial - General (Shops) - Academic?
Did We Go On To College?
Or - Join The Military? I Did Both - In Reverse Order!
What Was Our First Real J-O-B?
Did We Truly Like It?
Did We Stick With It As A Career?
Or, Rather - Did We ‘Flit About’ -
Like A Butterfly, or A Honeybee - Searching?
By Our ‘Thirties’ - Were We Married?
With Children? How Many?
Did We Find ‘Happiness’ Yet?
If So - How?
If Not - Why Not?
In Our ‘Forties’ - Were We Secure Financially?
Or - ‘Slaves’ To The ‘Almighty Credit Card?’
Were We Able To - ‘Keep Up With The Joneses?’
Did We Have An ‘In-The-Ground Pool?’
Or - Just An ‘Above-The-Ground’ One?
Ours Was A Cheap, Plastic ‘Wading Pool!’
But, Our Kids Could Play, And Cool Off -
To Be Sure - There Were ‘Tough Times’
Once - Even Having To ‘Charge’ -
A Mere Five-Dollar Prescription For A Sick Child!
Our ‘Fifties’ Sprang Upon Us -
Like A ‘Preying Tiger!’
Where Did The Time Go?
So Rapidly, Like A Corsair, Attacking And Plundering -
Perhaps Bringing Along A ‘Panic Attack?’
I’m ‘Over The Hill!’
It’s All ‘Down-Hill Now!’
Was I A Success?
Was My Life - SRO?
Standing Room Only!
Or - Heaven Forbid! - A ‘Flop!’?
Now, Apprehension And Fear Crept In -
OMG - I Have Nothing Set Aside For Retirement!
Those So-Called ‘Golden Years’ Of -
R&R - Rest And Relaxation ...
Just Months Before I Hit ‘Sixty’ - It Happened!
“THAT’S IT - I WANT A DIVORCE!”
After Thirty-Four Years Of ‘Wedded Bliss’ -
She Wanted Out!
BUMMER!
How Could I Have Been So Blind?
Why Did I Not See ‘The Hand-Writing On The Wall?’
Separate Checking Account!
A New Car In Her Name Only!
Her Money! My Money! No More Our Money!
Now - Ten Years Later - Post Retirement -
In Retrospect - She Actually Did Me A Favor!
As Jacky Gleason Used To Say:
“HOW SWEET IT IS!”
FREEDOM!
Self-Indulgence! Self-Responsibility! FUN!
With No Repercussions, Nor Consequences!
In Two Months - I Will Hit SEVENTY!
As Frank Sinatra Sang:
“I DID IT MY WAY!”
What Will The ‘Seventies’ - ‘Eighties’ and ‘Nineties’ Bring?
I DUN’NO!
Factoid Six -
But I Sure As Hell Am Looking Forward To Find Out!
Terrific. I read recently that you can't control the length of your life but you can control its depth. Sounds like you are doing just that. Hugs, J'nia
Oh my dear dear Cuz, you did mention everything over and under the carpet but forgot to mention about the politician's hand job done on all of us (the moans weren't of happiness)
This is your journal, for your writing. An interactive journal with historical tidbits designed to nurture creativity and self-motivation, features one side for drawings, sketches, or pasting personal pictures, and the other side lined for notes or j
Undercover Reunion, a novel of romance and adventure for Baby Boomers,fans of “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” and anyone who has ever attended their high school reunion!
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Cuz EDvard
Be always safe,
Karen