Stay young

Growing old is a growing concern during middle age. It troubles most people. For some, aging is a dreadful thought. Because they feel that old age is always synonymous with general sickness and health problems.

At what stage does one really start aging? What is the yardstick? Becoming grandparents? Crossing 50? Or 60? Start greying? Well, the Government policy decides the retiring age as 60, meaning that at 60 you have become old enough not to come to work. Does one really become old at 60? Isn’t it a myth that after 60, there is nothing you can do anymore?  “Age is only a number” says Lexi Starling.

Michelangelo was appointed the architect of St Peters’ basilica in the Vatican to design its dome when he was 71 years old.  Harland Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken moved to Canada to oversee his Canadian Franchises at the age of 75. He was active till the age of 80. He apparently wrote a book on cooking at the age of 70, which was found in the archives of KFC. John Milton wrote Paradise Regained when he was 63. The famous inventor Thomas Edison worked till the age of 83 in his laboratory. Mark twain wrote some of his master pieces when he was 71. The greatest discovery of Galileo was made when he was 72. Enough? No. Not really. Here comes the bouncer.

The story of Rose who joined University at the age of 87.

When she was introduced by the professor to others, one student asked her, "Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?"

She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, have a couple of children, and then retire and travel.”

Then on a serious note, she said, "I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!"

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester, Rose was invited to speak at football banquet. Her speech says it all.

She spoke: "We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!......

.....There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything, I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability........

.....The idea is to grow up by always finding the opportunity in change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets."

She concluded her speech by courageously singing "The Rose." She challenged each one to study the lyrics and live them out in their daily lives.

At the year's end, Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation, Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.

Certainly growing old brings some changes, some inabilities in the body. Like forgetfulness. But that doesn’t mean it’s a serious problem. Who doesn’t forget? And growing old has its own fun. As Rose said, one of the secrets of staying young is to laugh and find humor every day. Here we go.

An elderly couple had dinner at another elderly couple’s house. After eating, the wives left the table and went into the kitchen. The 2 elderly gentlemen were talking and one said, “Last night we went out to a new restaurant and it was really great. I would recommend it very highly.”

The other man said, “What is the name of the restaurant?”

The first man thought and thought and finally said, “what is the name of the flower that you give to someone you love? The one that is red and has thorns.”

“Did you mean Rose? “

“Yes,’ the man said. He turned toward the kitchen and yelled, “Rose, what’s the name of the restaurant we went to last night?”