Published:

http://retireearlylifestyle.com/blog/2013/02/11/aging-to-be-me/

http://www.stress-fat-heart-solutions-for-boomers.com/benefits-of-aging.html

Writing is fun! Writing is healing! Whether you want to write for yourself, family, friends, or write for publication, there is a lot to learn.

My new how-to manual is a text book of procedures for writers, from those who want to be a writer for themselves all the way to those who are marketing their creativity.

The forty one chapters cover special topics such as writers on the brink, kinds and lengths of books, grammar, editing, writers block, critiques, writing terminology, hook and synopsis, query and pitch, publishing avenues, marketing, and much more.

To order the valuable Free digital “Me write? I can do that!” guide book, Click Here or cut and paste the following link on your browser: http://agingisafulltimejob.com/contact-2/

AT THE CONTACT AREA, type why you want this book, fill out the form and click send.

I regret not seeing you more often, when you were healthy and when you were ill. The past cannot be changed. Opportunities were not taken. A time limit was never a reality to me and possibly not to you either, especially when you were in good health.

We had wonderful times together for decades, then allowed life events to stand in our way of seeing each other. I remember when I made a dress for you and for Cindi that had white polka dots. We laughed each and every time I teased you about spilling milk spots on the dresses. Then you both outgrew the polka dot dresses and we found other happenings for laughter and togetherness. We visited a doll museum, movies, miniature golf, countless family dinners and on and on. I will always remember and appreciate the sparkle in your eyes and your heart warming smiles and giggles.

I thought there was time. Keeping the status quo was not on the side of our inertia when you became sick. How wrong we were to miss so many opportunities to be together. I ran away from my helpless feelings when I last saw you in the wheel chair suffering from ALS -Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Today it is important to appreciate knowing your pain and suffering are gone. We will see each other someday, on the other side. Then we can rejoice in being together with our family and friends.

Rest in peace, my sweet Cousin Susie Lynn.

Love and kisses,
Marcia

One evening while a boy was talking with his grandparents about current events, he asked his grandpa what he thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general.
The Grandpa replied, “Well, let me think a minute, I was born before:
television, penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, contact lenses, Frisbees, the pill. There were no: credit cards, laser beams or ball-point pens.
Man had not yet invented:
pantyhose, air conditioners, dishwashers, clothes dryers, and the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air, and man hadn’t yet walked on the moon.
Your Grandmother and I got married first, and then lived together. Every family had a father and a mother.
Until I was 25, I called every man older than me, “Sir.” And after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title, “Sir.”
We were before gay-rights, computer-dating, dual careers, daycare centers, and group therapy.
Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense.
We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions.
Serving our country was a privilege; living in this country was a bigger privilege.
We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent.
Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins.
Draft dodgers were those who closed front doors as the evening breeze started.
Time-sharing meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends -not purchasing condominiums.
We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CD’s, electric typewriters, yogurt, or guys wearing earrings.
We listened to Big Bands, Jack Benny, and the President’s speeches on our radios.
And I don’t ever remember any kid blowing his brains out listening to Tommy Dorsey.
The term ‘making out’ referred to how you did on your school exam.
Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, and instant coffee were unheard of.
We had 5 &10-cent stores where you could actually buy things for 5 and 10 cents.
Ice-cream cones, phone calls, rides on a streetcar, and a Pepsi were all a nickel.
And if you didn’t want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail 1 letter and 2 postcards.
You could buy a new Ford Coupe for $600, but who could afford one? Too bad, because gas was11 cents a gallon.
In my day:
Grass was mowed
Coke was a cold drink
Pot was something your mother cooked in
Rock music was your grandmother’s lullaby
Aids were helpers in the Principal’s office
Chip meant a piece of wood
Hardware was found in a hardware store and software wasn’t even a word
We were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed a husband to have a baby.
No wonder people call us old and confused and say there is a generation gap.
How old do you think I am? I bet you have this OLD man in mind. Well, you are in for a shock!
Read on to see — pretty scary if you think about it and pretty sad at the same time. Are you ready?????

This person would be only 60 years old, born in 1953

The natural entry into the phase of being a silver sage usually starts around the chronological age of 55+.

Praise and encourage yourself now! It has taken many years of great effort to become more competent in your work and more skillful in your relationships. Also, more knowledgeable about the interactions between your family members and more adept at accepting the surprises life presents to you. About the only thing that comes without effort is natural aging.

Being referred to as a silver sage is much more tolerable than being called elderly or old or young lady or old geezer. Silver sages learn many guiding words of wisdom, and hopefully, will freely share them with others. Treat us with respect – no name calling!

The sixty-somethings all have one stage of life in common. This phase of development is the senior crisis. It takes many years of hard work to get over the commotion of the midlife crises in order to find a more productive path to a happier life. Then, little by little, the things we worked so hard for don’t haunt us anymore. Don’t get too comfortable. It’s time to move on! A silver sage is on a journey full of learning possibilities plus many changes. I do savor being a work in progress!

In my early sixties, I recognized how much the evolution of the career senior crisis was disrupting my life. The old routine of competing with younger job seekers had to end. It was time to give up the horrid chase for a better work life, hoping it would lead to a position in top management, along with the alleged promise of a big bucks salary with bonuses. How exhausting! Every day, age discrimination continues to be alive and well. I want to be the real me, not the pretend me who was always trying to fit the mold, created by others.

Ongoing advances in the field of medicine have made it possible to live longer than ever before. While a longer life provides opportunities for those sixty-five and older to do things that had been put on hold to raise families and work, it can also create a feeling of isolation and loneliness. The new concept of working an encore career has great merit for anyone who retires from the drudgery of a job and finds a new career. It is an opportunity to follow today’s dreams, passions and creativity.

Aging enables us to build on problem solving skills from the past. Keep asking questions! We will never know everything there is to know. Of this, I am sure; every problem has at least one solution and usually three or four answers. Pick the best answer, the one that feels the most comfortable.

It’s never too late to reinvent yourself. Being a silver sage led me to realize how important it is to make positive changes that will affect the rest of my life. Aging is a journey of change.

A key idea is to strive to keep the timeless treasurers from life and let go of the useless details. Create a balance to unclutter the things and people in your life. Silver sages learn it is no longer wise to predict what they will or will not do in given situations. We know the frustrations of prejudging, only to find ourselves wrong. Listen, learn, and then decide each individual situation by using the insights gained from the past. Change is necessary and possible, with an abundance of awareness and a positive approach.

Recognize the truth that you are much more
then you imagine yourself to be.

Memory, what is memory? How can I get more memory? I thought the question was easy, but not in our world of rapidly advancing technology. The model of a human memory has been overpowered by electronic devices.

According to the dictionary, memory is the ability of the mind, a person or organism to retain learned information and knowledge of past events and experiences, and to retrieve that information and knowledge.

The memory in a computer is the area of storage that maintains information for instant retrieval and processing. Maybe someday we will be able to add memory to humans, like we can now add memory to computers. I’ll be the first in line to buy more memory!

The concept of memory foam comes from its ability to return to its original shape after being subject to deformation. Some materials such as plastics and metals can return to their original shape too.

These comparisons are interesting, but let’s get back to the most important discussion, that of human memory. At present, I am looking at each and every document in my four drawer metal filing cabinet in order to purge papers no longer needed. This has provided quite a trip down memory lane. About seven years ago, I shredded what seemed to be all the unnecessary papers. When reviewing those files this week, I realize I played it very safe back then, just in case some proof of something would be needed.

Two of the filing cabinet drawers are broken, so it’s time to consolidate, purge, and move on. This time it was easier to look at memories with a less emotional reaction. Aging makes it more difficult to remember details of people, names, and events from the past. It also takes the powerful impact out of emotionalism from long past situations. After mentally replaying traumas of marriage, divorce, death, illnesses and more, year after year, the impact diminishes. The biological effects of aging cause a lessoning of the small details available for recall. Young people make fun of “that old man or woman who can’t remember names.” It’s not funny, it is extremely frustrating! Someday they will understand.

On the rewarding side of the issue is the fact that not remembering can be fantastic! I don’t remember the image or the name of my 5th grade teacher who smacked my right hand with a ruler every time she saw me writing the letter “a ” without closing the top of the letter. Now the schools are considering not teaching handwriting due to the acceptance of computer products in the classrooms.

Overload! The real problem comes from trying to overload the brain with too much information. I equate the process to stuffing the washer with an abundance of clothing. The machine fights to wash the clothes, but finally gets clogged up, then gets stuck. Ease the load by reducing the number of items, to make the washer work again.
The same process works for me.

Sometimes I can’t think at top performance level until I realize tiredness has gripped me or stress has taken over, making it difficult to focus. Once I lighten the load, and take the time to rest, I can function again. This process gives me the tools to strive to be the best that I can be.

The one charm of the past is that it is in the past. ~ Oscar Wilde

The aches belong to another poor soul
Yet they wake up with me every day
My head says, “Body, ignore that pain
It will wait until you’re old someday”.

I love to wake up before the sun arrives,
Stretching the hours of each day.
It gives me a chance to achieve what I plan
I will sleep late when I’m old someday.

I need more time to get more done,
Before the past sweeps the present away.
I do not stop to rest very often,
I will nap, when I’m old someday.

I cannot deny an inevitable fact,
My energy ebbs at the end of the day.
I pretend to myself that it will pass,
To return when I’m old someday.

There is no escape from this truth,
I cannot stop the pendulum’s sway.
Still part of me stays the course,
Racing it until I am old someday.

Guest Poet
Al Friedman, Southern Calif

Christmas was the most exciting time of the year in our small east coast town. My parents owned a retail ladies and children’s clothing store which thrived during the holiday season. As an eight year old, only child, I wanted the excitement and tradition of the thrilling Christmas holiday like everyone else. We went sled riding, threw snowballs at each other and built snowmen. Christmas and Chanukah were such a fun time of the year with bright decorations, candles and the once a year holiday songs on the radio. We wrote carefully crafted letters to Santa, asking him to fulfill our wish list of toys. The kids were believers in miracles!

In order to be a part of the joys of the two main traditional celebrations, my parents and I hung the Christmas stockings under the dining room window sill (we didn’t have a fire place or a chimney) plus cookies and milk for Santa. He always left one toy and some new winter clothes for me. Strange how some of those clothes looked like several of the styles that were sold in my parent’s store. Oh well, it was Christmas and I celebrated it like all the kids in the neighborhood with Santa and gift receiving! Sometimes the traditional Gregorian calendar and the Lunar calendar brought the two holidays together at almost the same time.

In the living room, we lit the traditional Chanukah menorah for eight nights, followed by a gift for each child in the family. Even though I knew we did not really celebrate the meaning of Christmas, I longed for a tree to decorate. All the other kids had a tree, except me. When I told Mom that I really, really, really wanted a tree, she explained the religious significance of the two holidays, which only clouded the issue. I didn’t care about any of that mumbo jumbo; I wanted to decorate a tree, like everyone else.

My parents found a creative solution. I was put in charge of decorating the small Christmas tree, which was put in one of the display windows of our clothing store. For three weeks, I went to the store after school to decorate the tree with ornaments, and under the tree I carefully placed fancy gift boxes. I made these miniatures out of paper, string, aluminum foil and anything else available. Customers praised my efforts when they came over to talk with me, while I was creating something new for the tree.

Silver Bells, White Christmas, and Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer were among the songs playing on the store radio. It was Christmas, my very own creative, special, and unique way of celebrating the holiday. And, I was helping others to feel the joy from my creativity.

Christmas is a nostalgic time of year for me. The religious aspects don’t dominate my thinking and neither do the economics of sales. I am a believer in caring and sharing. For me, giving is the reason to celebrate the holidays. I have always remembered and appreciated the untraditional way my family and I celebrated Christmas and Chanukah.