Growing Old

[fritz]

The other day a young person asked me how I felt about being old. I was taken aback, for I do not think of myself as old. Upon seeing my reaction, she was immediately embarrassed, but I explained that it was an interesting question, and I would ponder it, and let her know.

 

Old Age, I decided, is a gift.

 

I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometime despair over my body, the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror (who looks like my mother!), but I don't agonize over those things for long.

 

 

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide my self for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon?

I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60&70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love .. I will.

 

 

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.

 

They, too, will get old.

 

 

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

 

 

 

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

 

 

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

 

 

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.

 

 

 

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still her e, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day. (If I feel like it)

 

 

MAY OUR FRIENDSHIP NEVER COME APART ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART!

MAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE A RAINBOW OF SMILES ON YOUR FACE AND IN YOUR HEART FOREVER AND EVER!

 

FRIENDS FOREVER!

 

(written by a woman, but applies to men also)

 

fritz

[cold shot]

Great look on life, think I'll adopt it. Dave

[karlunity]

Well said.

 

karl

[cold shot]

hey karl, ya feelin' old,not me, I'm59 yrs young

 

[fritz]

"when all else fails, kick back, take a nap, and try tomorrow."

 

Well said. That is what I do (64 years old now, never did it before).

 

But I prefer to call it a siesta. An hour after the rest, I'm ready to face the cruel world again. In the old days, farmers would take what was known as a "dinner nap" after the noon meal, then at around 3 in the afternoon we would have what you now call a "coffee break".

 

Back then, the work was hard, and a man (or woman) would work hard both before and after those pauses in the work day. And you know what?---it worked.

 

But those times are gone. Time passes fast.

 

fritz

[Horsefly]

I reckon a dinner nap aint required much now-a-days with air conditioned tractors and radio,probably even tv.We use to start at daylight before it got too hot,and watch the time slowly slip by wanting it to be dinner time so bad so we could stop and rest for about an hour and a half.I never could eat a big dinner after working all morning in that heat,and then lay down and take a nap.Everyone else did,but to this day I can't do naps,and it's one thing I truely would like to do.Once,years ago,I went to my deer stand about 3 in the afternoon just to watch the birds,squirrels,and other little animules,and dozed off.I woke up and it was dark.I didn't have a watch,and didn't know if it was 7 or midnight until I got back to camp and saw my brother cooking steaks on the campfire.That was a great afternoon.

I'm feeling awful old lately.When I get up in the mornings,the heel of my left foot feels like an ice-pick is stuck in it,but by the time I walk or hoble to the crapper and back to the kitchen to make coffee,it lets up some,but them my right elbow hurts so back I can't pour the water in the coffee maker.But really,I'm in pretty good shape for a man in my condition.

[Stan in S C]

Like Fritz,at age 66 I am much much kinder with myself.I'm kinder with most other people also.I do not now HAVE to be critical nor point out the mistakes of others.I sleep later,take more naps and forget more these days.

Life is like a roll of toilet paper....the closer you get to the end,the faster it goes.

 

Stan

[fritz]

Jerry, air-condioned tractors are fine, but there are many other chores on the farm today that still require sweat. Hell, if it was that easy I would still be farming grain, going into all hours of the night to get things done on time.

 

It's easier now, sure, but it still ain't for everybody. In fact, more farmers are dropping out every year. I guess there is more to it than air-conditioned tractors. You still have to love the land, you still have to have the feeling for the land that our ancestors had.

 

Without that, this country would be without food. BTW, the use of air-conditioned tractors (and 12-row equipment) was necessitated by the above mentioned need to provide food for this country. And we are doing it still, despite everything the government can do to put us out of business.

 

Have you heard about the latest ruling by the government? The one that makes it illegal for a farmer to use a son or daughter to handle pesticides, or even be in a field where pesticides have been applied?

 

Or the other one that I just read about today--a governmental agency wants to restrict the amount of dust that a farmer creates while plowing his fields!

 

But, according to our schitty immigration policy (what policy?) it is OK to send a wetback out there yet. In fact, our government encourages it.

 

How else can you explain the failure of our government to do more about illegal persons coming into this country?

 

There was a good cartoon in my newspaper the other day---showed the people in California reading a letter from their National Guard. It read----"Sorry we cannot be there to help with your firefight, we are in a firefight here. Your National Guard"!

 

fritz

[Horsefly]

fritz,the govt. is only looking out for us by allowing chili choppers in the fields when spraying,but not your family.If your kids get enough spray to make them sick,they'll have to go to the hospital,and your insurance rates will go up,so,instead of asking $1.10 a lb for a heifer,you'll have to get $1.40 to cover the rate increase.If a Meskin gets sick,they go to the hospital,get the same care your kid got,but is paid for by the county,thus keeping your rates down,your family healthy,and the price of your cattle down.Wait a minute,where does the county get the money for the meskins medical bill?I reckon that's be from us that pay taxes.Never mind!

I know what you mean by you have to have a love for the land to farm,and I never had the desire.I watched my Dad and Grandpas have their heart broke some many times over crops that didn't make,that I've never had the desire to turn dirt.Now cattle is a whole different thing.My buddy just bought 250 heifers from Tennessee and is going to hold them through the winter and ship them off to a feedlot in Nebraska in the spring.Last year,he bought breed heifers and sold them in pairs,but he said he made better money sending them to a feedlot a couple years ago.I could raise wheat and hay for my own use like he does,but to plow 2,000 acres,plant,and watch grasshoppers eat it,or hail and drought wipe you out unless extremely lucky aint for me.I'm no gambler at all.Thank God for gamblers,I mean farmers,'cause I truely love to eat.

I've been wondering if you've dug up all of Gonzales county yet and have started on Bee county.

 

 

Jerry

[fritz]

Jerry,

We used to have a county-owned hospital in Goliad, mrs fritz worked there and my son was born there. But years later they had to close, because all the meskins from surrounding counties came there for treatment.

 

The government was no help at all, what the federal government paid (medicade or welfare) did not come close to paying the bills to keep it open for the taxpaying citizens of the county, who were billed double to make up the difference.

 

Now, you cannot refuse to treat someone in the ER (regardless of their ability to pay). Which meskins do not do.

 

No, there are very few (if any) county hospitals in south Texas rural towns today. And we all know the reason why.

 

We (the taxpayers) had an election on whethere to close the hospital or keep it drawing on the coffers of county assets. It was closed within a week. Now, the EMS (subsidized by county money) takes the sick to area hospitals. It is cheaper than having a hospital losing money every year.

 

 

fritz