“New” is Not the OLD “New”

Nostalgia,

Sentimentality,

Romantic notions,

Thoughtful recollection.

Another year. And time for reflection.

Stream-of-consciousness-style.

From the time I was a wee lad, I’ve always loved a profound word, or the wisdom of a proverb. When I was a child, my dad would bring home these calendars that had sayings on the top of each page. You know, “Early to bed, early to rise …” – that kind of thing. I would read all of them in a couple of hours and pore over their meaning for days.

I remember thinking how old my grandparents were, years ago, when they were the age I am today. I wondered what it would be like to be THAT old.

“Old age is fifteen years older than I am.”   Oliver Wendell Holmes

This is one of the things I love about blogging with this great community. There is no age – really. Young and old – let’s just say “older” – alike, share their experiences; their hopes, dreams, failures, and yes, their successes.

And their boundless creativity.

ethericwarriors.com

It’s like being around one of those electric-y gizmos that has all those tiny lightning bolt things in a clear globe and when you touch it your hair stands up straight. That’s the kind of excitement I get reading about everything so many of you do. The writing, drawing, photography, graphic design, etc. – along with your thoughts and emotions.

I’ve felt younger than I was, since I entered my 20’s. So I’ve been a proponent of the “30 is the new 20,” and then, “40 is the new 30,” and lately “50 is the new 30 40.” 🙂

Yes, the once-tight pecs are now soft-ish-man-breasts; the eight-pack abs have been relegated to a single-pack; the hair drizzled mostly grey; and legs that used to run 20 miles at a time, are now struggling to make it up a few flights of stairs!

But I don’t envy youth; I admire them. Still relating to their enthusiasm and zest for life. I AM 20, 30, 40, and 50! Really! I am all of those ages. The thrill of bench-pressing 280 lbs several times, running six-minute-miles ad nauseum, flexing 15 inch guns in the mirror, wooing my lovely bride at 26 years old, slapping gel on my newly cut “fade,” and flooring the accelerator on my Camaro, are all vivid memories.

But I also look back at the smiles on my kids’ faces, their sports and arts done well (mostly), and the successes and mistakes I made as a husband, father, son, brother, and friend.

So, I don’t get bummed out as another year ends, and a new one begins. It’s just the next chapter in the book.

As I hit play on my iPod, Eminem rings out: