Older- yes /Wiser- an open question

The next four items are from a book I just finished by Steven Petrow called Stupid Things I Won’t Do When I Get Old. 

I actually think playwright George Bernard Shaw had it right when he said, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.”

The more we define ourselves by our frailties and illnesses, the more we allow them to become us.

He knew he was getting older when it took him longer to do what he used to do easily, and quickly, so he decided to do less, but even that took longer.

“Back at the beginning, as I see now, my life was all time and almost no memory.... And now, nearing the end, I see that my life is almost entirely memory and very little time.”

I think one of the difficulties in getting older is the third quote. Things get more difficult. You can feel yourself slowing down. What formerly happened so easily now requires effort. Sometimes considerable effort. What required effort in the past may now require assistance. It is assistance we don’t want to ask for or be forced to admit we need. So we decide to do less. 

The last quote. Time? That’s a tough one. Lots to look back on. How much is left ahead? It is clear at my age there is more behind me than lies ahead. Here is one opinion from the internet yesterday. 

What I found interesting was that it was exactly 4 years yesterday. What would I do if that was certain? How would I spend those 4 years? Recently I have been considering what is important in life. It has come down to a couple of things. Love and kindness. Everyone has struggles in this life. If I can’t do anything to make their lives better then I should do what I can to ensure I don’t make them any worse. A kind word. A listening ear. An open heart and mind. A helping hand. In a world that seems to be increasingly cruel or at least lacking empathy I am choosing to swim against the current. It may be a small thing but it matters. Return that shopping cart. Tip you waitstaff a little extra. Pick up that piece of trash on the sidewalk or in the parking lot. Smile and wave at your neighbor, or a stranger, or someone driving by. Make a tiny difference. They add up.