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d e c e m b e r 2 0 2 2
– WISE WORDS, A SPEECH –
"I'm so happy to be here... because you are honest to goodness grown-
ups. I recently spoke to a dozen or so 6 and 7-year old cub scouts whose
attention span was about 31/2 minutes. One little guy kept raising his
hand and asking how much longer I was going to speak because he
wanted his juice and cookies. It was a disaster. I would rather have had
a root canal. Maybe one of these cub scouts will grow up and help me
cross the street one day. You see, I try to think positively.
My talk is supposed to be about how to live a positive life at 87 years
of age. I'm not here to tell you how to live your lives. Although come to
think of it, I am up here [at the podium] and you are down there [in the
audience], so I actually could.
Old age is not a gradual process as you might think. I went to bed one
night and in the morning was struck with a variety of ailments, some of
which I still suffer from. People say that old age is beautiful. Of course,
they are usually 23 when they say that. There is nothing so tragic about
being 87 unless you are trying to look 33. I gave up trying to look 33 when
I was 34.
I was in Bishop's supermarket a few days before Hurricane Sandy
struck us. It was very crowded and everyone was stocking up on groceries
before the storm. I heard a nice man say, "Step aside and let the elderly
lady go through the checkout line first." I immediately stepped aside and
then realized he meant ME! I mean, how could he have mistaken me for
an elderly lady? Granted, my body doesn't come to attention as much as
in previous years, but my mind is functioning quite well, thank you.
I knew I was old for sure when a double issue of People Magazine
arrived all about sexy young men, and it took me 5 minutes to read the
whole issue. How did I get this old so quickly? Mostly by making peace
with how things are. And by focusing on what I can do rather than what
I CANNOT do. I lucked out by being born in 1928 as an only child... and
a girl child to boot. My parents took one look at me and declared they had
achieved perfection and should quit while they were ahead. My parents
taught me how important a sense of humor is. They were full of fun and
always made me feel very special. I learned self-discipline from them. You
need these traits when you attend a buffet luncheon for senior citizens.
It's a lot like feeding time at the zoo. It also helps if you have a hearty
snack before you go. ...continued on page 4
-Julie Flynn
DAYS TO KEEP IN MIND
Saturday December 3 Int. Day of Persons with Disabilities
Sunday December 4 Wildlife Conservation Day
Monday December 5 International Volunteer Day
Wednesday December 7 Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
Thursday December 8 Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Saturday December 17 Wright Brothers Day
Sunday December 18 Hanukkah
Wednesday December 21 Winter Solstice
Saturday December 24 Christmas Eve
Sunday December 25 Christmas Day
Monday December 26 Kwanzaa
Monday December 26 Last Day of Hanukkah
Saturday December 31 New Year's Eve
from
Carol
Beder's
For this last issue of 2022, it seems fitting to run this speech, written
in 2015 by the late Ruth Keesing. Ruth and her husband Fred were the
original owners of this publication, and she was frequently asked to
speak to various groups, much to her delight. I hope you enjoy it!
And I hope you and your families have a very Merry Christmas, a
Happy Hanukkah and a Healthy, Happy 2023!
"The proper response, as Hanukkah teaches, is not to
curse the darkness but to light a candle."
~ Irving Greenberg
