GUEST POST from Don – July 24, 2022: Too Old??

Who says?

Claire Bauman is 94.  She JUST retired as a crossing guard in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.  She has been faithfully helping children cross the street for 57 years.  They drove her to her retirement ceremony (at a crosswalk) in a ’57 Chevy.

Betty Reid Soskin began her role as a national park ranger at Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front in California at age 84. She just retired … at 100.

Next week a friend of mine, Jim, will be flying to England to participate in his graduation ceremony.  He earned his PhD in Theology last year, but they cancelled the ceremony due to COVID.  He is 80.  A few months ago he drove from Kentucky to California, packed up a house, moved his wife’s sister, and drove back … all in less than 2 weeks.  

Last month we hired a local business to re-do our soffits and gutters.  Our house is 2 stories in the back and 1 story in the front.  We hired this particular company because I talked with the owner’s nephew and found that Kenneth has been doing this all his life.  He knows what he is doing and does not cut corners.  I researched what it should cost.  The bid was almost dead center of the suggested price range.  The owner is 80.  He and a helper did the entire job in less than 4 days (perfectly).  This 80 year old owner was attaching gutters and soffits on 26 foot ladders as well as carrying heavy pieces.  He mentioned that sometimes his hips bother him a little if he has to go up and down grades all day.  Temperatures were in the 90’s with full sunshine.  By the way, Kenneth had full-fledged COVID this spring and had a full recovery.  

Guinness Book of World Records reports that Bette Nash, who works for American Airlines, is the world’s oldest flight attendant at age 86.  She started her career in 1957.  The airline has granted her the choice of whichever route she wants.  She is still required to attend flight attendant training per FAA rules.  You can’t do something for that long if you hate doing it.

These are ordinary folk who have something extraordinary in their lives.  

Before retiring I found an article I appreciated.  The author had just a few pieces of advice, but THIS is what I learned from him:  “Do ONE THING each day.”  At first I thought that an odd statement.  But shortly after retiring I realized how easy it was to vegetate on TV, games, and reading the news.  I took that advice and every day I choose ONE THING that I will do.  I end up doing many things.  

In fact, I gave the same advice to a recently retired friend.  He shared that one day after we talked he found himself wasting time…in fact it was already 2:00 pm and he had done nothing.  So, he thought, “What ONE THING should I do?”  He went to the cluttered garage and found the drawered gadget that held all the screws which he always had to search for when doing a project.  In the next ½ hour he found a place to hang it on the wall and attached it.  He had been wanting to do that for years.  Now it was done because he chose to do ONE THING.  

The people I have mentioned all found that ONE THING they could do over and over and still love.

Me?  I’m thinking of learning a musical instrument.  Who knows!  Maybe when I’m 80 I will be the bass player in a “Top 40” band…?

MORE OF DON’S GREAT GUEST POSTS:

~ Be My Guest ~ IN-CRE-MEN-TAL-ISM ~ Bad Friends & Broken Tools ~ Pools Are For The Birds?? ~ 

~ Animals Hindering Your Financial Freedom ~ The Chicken ~ Finding The Exit ~ Allegheny Blackberries ~

~ Romantic Sunset At The Beach ~ Fun Facts About Carpenter Ants ~ Bad Habits ~ Doing Faith Wrong ~ Quirky! ~ 

~ Ten-Foot Trestle ~ Settling Estates ~ Living In High Horse Country ~  The Dying Generation ~