At my age…

Some say it sucks getting old.  Some do anything and everything to try and stay young-looking.  (Hey Cher, it’s not working!) 

I’m OK with growing old.  I mean, if we’re lucky we get to grow old.  And that means we get to do a lot of beginnings: 

Once I might have wished for that: never to grow old.  But now I know that to stay young always is also not to change.  And that is what life's all about - change is going on every minute, and you never know when something begins where it's going to take you. 

Joan W. Blos 

I read an article recently that Shania Twain, at the age of 60, has finally stopped trying to be 20.  I’m here to tell you being elderly has its ups and its downs.  Come to think of it, I’ve had ups and downs in my teenage years and ever since! 

Now, I’m part of that “get off my lawn”, seemingly self-privileged, grumpy old man group that upholds the Scots: 

Old Scottish Prayer 

O Lord, grant that we may always be right, for Thou knowest we will never change our minds. 

Unknown Sage 

These days, when I remember where I parked my car and when I hit all of the belt loops, I know its going to be a good day.  Yes, there are those “other” days, too.  I’ll be attending my 55^th high school reunion in October.  I dread the fact that I won’t recognize my former classmates; I won’t remember their names, either. 

I’m sure there will be plenty of tales about our prescriptions, medical procedures, and worse.  I’m blessed to say I still have all of my original parts.  A little rusty perhaps, but all original.  It’s OK.  I won’t be playing touch football at the reunion. 

It’s best to stay active, though.  Mentally, physically, intellectually.  Rock stars might be different.  Neil Young, Def Leppard, and others claimed: 

It’s better to burn out than fade away. 

For the rest of us, fading away is just fine.  And, for any of my high school classmates I run into this Fall, here’s a little help.  I’m still the one - just with the white hair:

                                                    Gary A. Pokorn 

                                                Class of 1971

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

Making a living…

I was a Road Warrior once.  I wonder if there are as many business travelers today; what, with work-from-home, Zoom, Teams, and all. 

For all that travel to make a living, I salute you!  The long hours and time zone changes are tough to begin with.  Not to mention the plethora of airline incidents making the news today!  If planes aren’t trying to play bumper cars, then it’s the passengers who are “flying out of control”, true?  And that’s just the getting to and home part.  In between, these business people still have their jobs to do. 

I know the airlines are trying to make the trip as comfortable as possible, but there’s a limit: 

Pilot:  ‘Folks, we have reached our cruising altitude now, so I am going to turn the seat belt sign off.  Feel free to move about as you wish, but please stay inside the plane 'til we land.  It's a bit cold outside, and if you walk on the wings it effects the flight pattern." 

Unknown Sage

Of course, Diamond Medallion, Premier 1k, frequent flying, business travelers also have to deal with the casual, family-with-children, infrequent flyers who don’t always know the routine: 

You'll notice that the airport buildings are in the distance.  We don't land at the terminal because it scares the heck out of the people inside. 

Mark Sanborn 

Then there are those darn, connecting flights.  There’s always the gamble of scheduling the connections too close.  I know frequent flyers don’t want to spend anymore time at the airport between flights than necessary, but…  Schedule connections too tight and the business traveler is at the mercy of airline flight operations, airport architects, and Murphy: 

Law of Airports 

The distance to the gate is inversely proportional to the time available to catch the flight. 

                   Unknown Sage

Well, as I concluded in the opening introduction to Road Warriors©, Chapter One of my book: 

Not everyone can do this for a living. 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.