Things Learned from 70+ Year Olds

The Bible says that those with grey hair have wisdom. Here are the highlights of living with seventy year olds:

"Fox News and styrofoam are evil." - Said as my grandmother discusses my conservatism.

"Napkins, paper towers, and plastic bags are meant to be stolen." - A rebuttal by my grandma's third cousin leaving a restaurant as she stuffs her purse and jacket with said materials.

"Good fun is when you laugh until you cry. Great fun is when you laugh until you wet your pants." - The wisdom of my grandma's best friend after the two of them peed on the garage floor.

"I've always done it this way, and it's worked. Why would I change?"

"I don't want to get old. But then again, I do want Social Security and senior discounts."

Living with "old folks" can be tiresome with grunts and moans of body aches, steadfast stubbornness, and a lack of youthful relevancy. Nonetheless, it is such a joy to share a part of life learning by living day to day. Watching, listening, and picking up on insightful and wise ways intrigues me and challenges me to cherish the time I am spending with seventy-some year olds.

I've always said that I want to be a lifetime learner; perhaps going to school forever. But it'd be a lot cheaper just to learn from those around me. With a self-focus during most of our lives, we have to be diligent about learning from others. I don't mean just what they say or do, but who they are as a person. When we learn who someone is and why they are that way, then we have a better appreciation for the relationship with that person and we learn about who we are and what we aspire to be. It takes an extra effort and there is no room for excuses: we have to utilize learning from those around us. Whether it's our friends, parents, grandparents, colleagues, professors, on and on. We have to learn, we have to invest, and we have to return. It brings me joy to know that I can learn from those around me and hopefully, I pray, others can learn from me.

Let's embark on this lifelong learning journey together.