I'm having another birthday this week. I’m proud to admit I’ve now survived 66 of them. I used to think that was really old. Most days I don’t feel that old. I said most days. Some days, I feel ancient, both mentally and physically. Life is speeding along and some days it’s hard to hang on and keep up with all the changes a 66-year old has seen; especially all the high-tech changes.
First, the good news. I can now take Social Security, keep on working, and the government can’t penalize me and ask me to pay the Social Security payment back because I make more money than they allow. Of course we’re still saddled with the hundreds of different taxes the government burdens us with. Is it just me, or does it seem unfair that our Social Security is taxed as income, when we already paid that in as a tax. Now they tax it again. That seems like double taxation to me.
This birthday got me thinking about things I’ve learned and opinions I’ve formed in my 66 years.
I’ve learned that two subjects you shouldn’t discuss or write about are politics and religion. When it comes to those subjects, I’ve learned that most people have minds like a steel trap that’s been left out in the elements too long… they’re rusted shut.
I’ve learned that the older I get, I find it easier to accept that this is who I am… warts, pimples, extra pounds, aching joints, balding head, and all. I’ve put on a lot of miles to make it through 66 years. Not all of them were on paved roads. I’ve hit a lot of potholes over the years.
I’ve learned that when things look the darkest, a light appears and shows us the way. I’ve learned that I’m capable of doing a lot of things I never thought I could do. All we need is some confidence and the willingness to try and swim against the current. Even a dead fish can float downstream.
I’ve learned that I don’t have all the answers. I’ve learned that I can get much farther if I keep an open mind and am willing to listen to other points of view and opinions. The mind is like a parachute… it only functions when it’s open.
Another thing I’ve seen in my 66 years is an increasing amount of government regulations to protect us from ourselves. What happened to individual responsibility for our own actions?
There have been a lot of stories in the news lately about raw milk and the government wanting to protect us from drinking it. We grew up drinking raw (fresh) milk, direct from the cow. Everyone I knew also drank raw milk. I don’t remember anyone getting sick from drinking it and no one died that I’m aware of. We milked the cows, put the milk in cans, and set them in a cooler filled with cold water in the milkhouse. We’d fill a glass quart jar with milk and take it to the house. Ma put it in the refrigerator and in the morning it had a couple inches of cream on the top. We had Jersey’s who had higher butterfat content. Ma skimmed off most of the cream, saved it to use later, and we drank that raw, cream-filled, high-fat milk. We thought it was great and we survived. For us, drinking store-bought milk was like drinking watered down milk. We Jersey farmers referred to it as Holstein milk! My apologies to all you Holstein people, but I couldn’t resist.
Remember that woman who got burned when she spilled McDonald’s coffee on herself. She sued them and got a monetary settlement. Now most companies have a warning on their coffee cups that the contents are hot. If you read the warnings on any product these days, they seem to be protecting us from our own stupidity.
I’ve learned that many of the games we played as kids, would be outlawed now as too dangerous and someone could get hurt. They are probably right, but somehow we all survived.
I’ve learned that war produces only two things, victims and survivors. Too often, wars are started and waged by people who have never been in one, have never been shot at, or held the mangled body of a dying friend. It changes your outlook on life and death.
I’ve learned that every season has its good and bad points. You just have to find the good parts and concentrate on that. Back to that old Norwegian saying, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes.”
I’ve learned that some days you’re the bug; some days you’re the windshield. That’s a fact of life and we all better get used to it.
I’ve learned that you can take the boy out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the boy. Not everyone likes small towns or country living and that’s just fine. But for some of us, we need the peacefulness of country life and being able to see the stars at night without light pollution.
And one last thing; I’ve learned that you can go home again. Things have changed over the years, but it’s still home. It’s where my roots are buried deep. That’s a good place to be when you’re 66 years old.
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