By Richard Tomlinson
Well it is a brand new year which means I will be getting older. Getting older is not always a bad thing. It is a time when I become more comfortable with myself. Some people want to turn back the clock. Not me! Aging is a time to recount my many stories and adventures. Many of the roads that I travelled weren't always smooth. But those times make life more interesting. Life should never be a journey to the grave in an attractive well preserved body. It should be a body that has a few wrinkles and is well worn but also well enjoyed with a martini in one hand and totally worned out with laughter and tears.
What is weird about aging: when you are young you lie about being older. I remember I wanted to be older to buy that beer or go to R-Rated movies. As you get older, some lie that they are younger. But finally in old age, you start bragging about your true age. My grandfather lived to be his upper nineties and yet he still hunted, fished, and mowed his own grass. Like my grandfather, I became bald in my early thirties. Since I have less hair on my head, I decided to grow a beard to have some hair on my face. My grandfather used to tease his barber that his haircut should be cheaper as they should charge by the inch. They probably had to charge more as they charged a "search fee" to find what hair was left.
As a whole, I am fairly healthy. My eyesight and hearing is not as good but my mind is still sharp. Too often people see aging as a process of life to fear and dread. Instead it should be anticipated with excitement. Having a sense of humor can help with the challenges and the aches and pains and can help us bear the unbearable much better. George Bernard Shaw summed things up best by saying: "We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." So enter this new year with a playful attitude. You will be a year older. Accept it and go on living.