Friday, March 03, 2006

How Old Are You?




Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions. "How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key.You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number ... or even a few ahead. "How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . . . YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!! But then you turn 30. Oooohh what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk. He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now. You're just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed? You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes .. it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone. But wait!!! You MAKE IT to 60. You didn't think you would!So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE IT to 60. You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday! You get into your 80s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards ..."I Was JUST 92. "Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!" May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height.Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay "them!"
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle."An idle mind is the devil's workshop."And the devil's name is Alzheimer's..
4. Enjoy the simple things..
5. Laugh often ... long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath..
6. The tears happen. Endure grief, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive..
7. Surround yourself with what you love ..whether it's .. family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge..
8. Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help..
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall ... even to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them at every opportunity....AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

You may have seen some of these before; another email gem. P.S. I am not really asking how old you are - it was the only title I could think of...LOL

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is great, funny, and so-o-o true!

srp said...

As I know I have said before, I no longer have birthdays. I have anniversaries of my birthday. Now I am working on the year after the 23rd anniversary of my 30th birthday. This will work for a while.

MaR said...

I loved it! A gloriuos closing line, too! Have a good weekend!

Eddie said...

Judy,
Your advice to stay young is sooo good!

Anonymous said...

I just turned 40 and Hello, Michele sent me.

Joe said...

Great post! I am still laughing!

BTW, I am almost 30 and feel this post big time!

Michele sent me.

AC said...

This was a joyful read first thing this morning. I'm copying your suggestions out for my bulletin board!

Carolyn said...

Too funny! If I'm not mistaken, didn't GEORGE CARLIN do this routine?

Anonymous said...

Good thoughts that make a lot of sense. I turn 59 next month and life only continues to get better.

Moon said...

Great post!!! loved it. And on a side note, I will be 43 at midnight tonight..the timing of your post was perfect for me lol. ..Oh and my half bday is Sept 5th lol..
I have always enjoyed my bdays...the only one I didnt was #30...and my fav since adulthood was my 40th and like fine wine, they are just getting better with age lol....

Have a great day

Anonymous said...

I followed good manners and posted something new for you to look at. ;-) LOL

Chancy said...

Thanks for your post and the nifty suggestions. I am printing and saving for easy reference.

Chancy

www.driftwoodinspiration.blogger.com

Chancy said...

By the way:

"You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday! You get into your 80s "

I recently hit 76 and I no longer buy "green bananas" :)

Chancy

www.driftwoodinspiration.blogger.com

ribbiticus said...

hi judy! are we on the same wavelength or what! or maybe we just got the email at almost the same time - lol! posted the same yesterday. weird...:)

Chatty said...

I'm going to be 40 in August and often say, "I'm 40". Age never bothered me in the number sense. I feel young, still look relatively younger than my age (which bugged me growing up, and I am surrounded by wonderful people. It's just a number, people need to lighten up.

Weary Hag said...

Yes, I had seen this before but it never hurts to re-read something so perfect!

You know, regarding my age... I'm no longer afraid to tell people. My daughter solved that little problem for me. Solution? I'm forty-ten. And on my next birthday, I shall turn forty-eleven, and so on and so forth. :)

(when SJ was a little girl, she asked me if I was going to be thirty-ten in a couple of years. At the time I was 36. I thought this was adorable)