Getting On
As I write this column I celebrate
one more year on this planet.
I could have titled this article –
“Getting Older or How It Feels To
Be Old” or “How It Feels To Not
Feel As Old As I Am” or etc.
However, I chose “Getting On”
because I am an optimist and don’t
see the value in looking back. I
had rather look forward and count
my blessings. More about looking
forward and blessings later!
During breakfast this morning, I
asked the publisher if she thought
that I would get a phone call from
my dad today. She emphatically
stated, “YES”. My day calls every
year and as I answer the phone –
he sings happy birthday to me. He
is not a singer although a much
better singer than I am or ever will
be. I truly look forward to his call
for three reasons. One reason is
that he has called me for many
years and I look forward to his call.
Some years he has not been able
to talk to me directly but that does
not stop him from leaving me a
voice mail with his rendition of
Happy Birthday. Another reason is
that I know that he knows that I like
it. The final reason, I am glad that
he is still “getting on” himself and is
here so that he can sing to me.
One of my fondest memories of
my birthday is when my dad called
and asked me how it felt to be sixty
years old. I told him that it felt fine.
My question to him was, “How
does it feel to be the father of a
sixty year old man?” He was
almost speechless and that is
amazing.
My mother always sends me the
greatest birthday cards. I have
never asked her but she must
spend an inordinate amount of
time selecting birthday cards.
They always are so meaningful
and she underlines key words and
writes little notes to me. I am saving
those cards. You know, nobody
loves you like your mother. On
those days when things are not
going so well, I can pull out one of
those cards and everything seems
better.
I have been pondering lately
(can’t image why) about aging. I
have always wondered about old
people – you know those in their
50’s and 60’s – do they see old. Is
everything cloudy and old looking
to them? First of all, I now know
that those in their 50’s and 60’s are
not really old. I know that when
you are in your 20’s and 30’s it
might seem like people in their 50’s
and 60’s are old. However, I can
now confirm that is not true. And
no, they do not see things cloudy
and old looking. Yes, joints do not
work as well as they used to and
you might not move quite as fast
as you used to but life goes on.
The one thing that I can’t seem
to get used to is being called Mr.
Hill. I always look around after
being called Mr. Hill to see if my
dad is standing there. When do
you become known by the same
name as your dad? I don’t know
for sure but I think that I am there.
Another term that I am called is
Mr. Jimmy. Where did that come
from? What does it mean? Well,
at least, it is better than Mr. Hill, I
think.
Old is a state of mind! Yes, I
really believe that. However,
events and instances can make
you question that. Not many years
ago I was at a retiree’s dinner at
the company where I had worked
for many years. I happen to sit
across the table from one of my
previous bosses. He opened his
pill box (if you are getting on, you
know what I am talking about) to
take his medicine. I almost fell out
of my chair. I recognized every pill
in his pill box. That was scary. As
I now open my pill box, I appreciate
every one of those little boogers
because they help me with my
getting on.
Oh yes, I just about forget to tell
you about some of the benefits of
getting on. You can get a nice percentage
off of your meal ticket at
most restaurants. You can save
tons on lodging and entertainment
by having silver hair. Flaunt it! I
know some of you are ashamed or
want to hide the fact that you are
considered a SENIOR. Not me!
Bring it on. You can say some
things that you might not have said
earlier in life. Those who hear
those remarks will think to themselves
– well, he is getting old.
Use that fact to straighten out
some things when needed.
And finally, you can’t have
grandchildren when you are
young. For some reason, the good
Lord required you to have children
first. Well, I can tell you children
are fine but grandchildren are the
best. The publisher and I are
blessed with five grandchildren -
three boys and a set of twin girls.
What a joy! We love those times
that we spend with the grandchildren.
In closing, I am thankful for
many things, but having the publisher
as my wife is the very best.
Thank you for loving me and helping
me with the process of getting
on. I hope all of you have much
success in your getting on experiences.
Until next time… layover to
catch meddler!
If you want to read about other
stories and experiences of mine,
go to our website at www.georgiafestivals.
com and check them out.
Attend A Festival Soon!
When you travel and attend festivals the net result is that you are helping to support your community and the state of Georgia. Look on page one of this newspaper for the AT-A-Glance column or go to our Website at www.georgia-festivals.com and find a festival that is of interest to you and your family. Load up the family and have a great day exploring festivals and other events. This can be a great way for your family to spend some quality time together. So get out there and visit your favorite festival or event!
See You Next Time
This column will continue to bring you interesting stories and events in the peach state. It will also cover other fascinating ideas, concepts and musings about life in general as well as well as ramblings about rural Georgia and other places of interest. We discuss those matters of great interest to those who thirst for incredible and sometimes useless knowledge. All of the "LAYOVER TO CATCH MEDDLERS" columns can now be found on our Website at www.georgia-festivals.com
Take care and may all of your "LAYOVER TO CATCH MEDDLERS" be successful!
* LAYOVER TO CATCH MEDDLERS means, according to "Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins" by William and Mary Morris… "layover to catch meddlers is a dialect variant of a very common answer used by adults to evade a direct answer to children's questions. Instead of saying to the child, 'It's none of your business,' he would be told, 'It's layover to catch meddlers.' So what's a layover? You ask. A layover is a trap for bears or other unwary animals, made of a pit covered with boughs. And a meddler, of course, is a person who interferes in other people's business. The phrase was recorded in Eastern and Southern states as long ago as 1890. It also appears as larovers for meddlers, layos to catch meddlers and even as a single word, larofamedlers."
