Paul B
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Excellence Award
Reef Tank 365
Reef Of The Month
Article Contributor
Rock Pool Reef Keepers
You know ... time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware
of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just
married and embarking on my new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it
seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that
I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my
hopes and dreams. My first girlfriend, my first real job, first car, first fish tank. I lived a good life, worked hard loved hard and traveled a lot.
But, here it is... the back nine of my life and it catches me by
surprise...How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where
did my youth go? With my hair I guess.
I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that
those older people were years away from me and that I was only on the
first hole and the back nine was so far off that I could not fathom it
or imagine fully what it would be like. Most people were older than me, certainly important people like Presidents and doctors. Now they all seem like kids to me.
But, here it is...my friends are retired and getting gray...they move
slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse
shape than me...but, I see the great change...Not like the ones that I
remember who were young and vibrant...but, like me, their age is
beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see
and never thought we'd become. We used to talk about skiing, SCUBA diving, going down the rapids, girls, the war we fought in and now much of our conversations are about operations we had or are going to have, Grand Kids, IRAs, reverse mortgages and Old Tank Syndrome.
And so...now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all
the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do
things that I wish I had done but never did!! But, at least I know, that
though I'm on the back nine, and I'm not sure how long it will
last...this I know, that when it's over on this earth...it's over. A new
adventure will begin! Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I
hadn't done...things I should have done, but indeed, there are many
things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a lifetime. I still feel strong, but when I try to lift something that used to be easy, it is not so easy any more. I am a person that almost never asked for help with anything but now some things are just a little to heavy. I used to have no problem installing the outdrives on my boat, now I can barely wrestle them into my car. I think I am in good shape and I still swim every other day but aches and pains pop up every day and you wonder what you did to get them.
So, if you're not on the back nine yet...let me remind you, that it will
be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish
in your life please do it quickly! Don't put things off too long!! Life
goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure
whether you're on the back nine or not! I lost many good friends in my life, some of them very young and some recently. Many who were very young in the war. As I get older and the people I know and love age with me I find myself going to a lot more funeral's than I used to. Almost all of the people who attended my wedding who were family instead of friends are gone.
My parents and all my Aunts and uncles I used to visit as a child are all just memories.
You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life...so,
live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to
remember...and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things
that you have done for them in all the years past!!
"Life" is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to
those who come after. Make it a fantastic one. LIVE IT WELL! ENJOY
TODAY! DO SOMETHING FUN! BE HAPPY ! HAVE A GREAT DAY Remember "It is
health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver. LIVE HAPPY
IN 2016!
LASTLY, CONSIDER THIS:
~Your kids are becoming you......but your grandchildren are perfect!
~Going out is good.. Coming home is better!
~You forget names.... But it's OK because some people forgot they even
knew you!!!
~You realize you're never going to be really good at anything that you were not good at before.
~The things you used to care to do, you aren't as interested in anymore,
but you really do care that you aren't as interested.
~You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV 'ON' than in bed. It's
called "pre-sleep".
~You miss the days when everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF"
switch..
~You tend to use more 4 letter words ... "what?"..."when?"... ???
~You notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless"?!!!
~Everybody whispers.
~You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet.... 2 of which you will
never wear.
~~~But Old is good in some things: Old Songs, Old movies, and best of
all, OLD FRIENDS!!
Stay well, old friend, and let
them laugh in AGREEMENT!!! It's Not What You Gather, But What You
Scatter That Tells What Kind Of Life You Have Lived.
TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU'VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU'LL EVER BE,
SO ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.
of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just
married and embarking on my new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it
seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that
I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my
hopes and dreams. My first girlfriend, my first real job, first car, first fish tank. I lived a good life, worked hard loved hard and traveled a lot.
But, here it is... the back nine of my life and it catches me by
surprise...How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where
did my youth go? With my hair I guess.
I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that
those older people were years away from me and that I was only on the
first hole and the back nine was so far off that I could not fathom it
or imagine fully what it would be like. Most people were older than me, certainly important people like Presidents and doctors. Now they all seem like kids to me.
But, here it is...my friends are retired and getting gray...they move
slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse
shape than me...but, I see the great change...Not like the ones that I
remember who were young and vibrant...but, like me, their age is
beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see
and never thought we'd become. We used to talk about skiing, SCUBA diving, going down the rapids, girls, the war we fought in and now much of our conversations are about operations we had or are going to have, Grand Kids, IRAs, reverse mortgages and Old Tank Syndrome.
And so...now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all
the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do
things that I wish I had done but never did!! But, at least I know, that
though I'm on the back nine, and I'm not sure how long it will
last...this I know, that when it's over on this earth...it's over. A new
adventure will begin! Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I
hadn't done...things I should have done, but indeed, there are many
things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a lifetime. I still feel strong, but when I try to lift something that used to be easy, it is not so easy any more. I am a person that almost never asked for help with anything but now some things are just a little to heavy. I used to have no problem installing the outdrives on my boat, now I can barely wrestle them into my car. I think I am in good shape and I still swim every other day but aches and pains pop up every day and you wonder what you did to get them.
So, if you're not on the back nine yet...let me remind you, that it will
be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish
in your life please do it quickly! Don't put things off too long!! Life
goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure
whether you're on the back nine or not! I lost many good friends in my life, some of them very young and some recently. Many who were very young in the war. As I get older and the people I know and love age with me I find myself going to a lot more funeral's than I used to. Almost all of the people who attended my wedding who were family instead of friends are gone.
My parents and all my Aunts and uncles I used to visit as a child are all just memories.
You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life...so,
live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to
remember...and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things
that you have done for them in all the years past!!
"Life" is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to
those who come after. Make it a fantastic one. LIVE IT WELL! ENJOY
TODAY! DO SOMETHING FUN! BE HAPPY ! HAVE A GREAT DAY Remember "It is
health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver. LIVE HAPPY
IN 2016!
LASTLY, CONSIDER THIS:
~Your kids are becoming you......but your grandchildren are perfect!
~Going out is good.. Coming home is better!
~You forget names.... But it's OK because some people forgot they even
knew you!!!
~You realize you're never going to be really good at anything that you were not good at before.
~The things you used to care to do, you aren't as interested in anymore,
but you really do care that you aren't as interested.
~You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV 'ON' than in bed. It's
called "pre-sleep".
~You miss the days when everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF"
switch..
~You tend to use more 4 letter words ... "what?"..."when?"... ???
~You notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless"?!!!
~Everybody whispers.
~You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet.... 2 of which you will
never wear.
~~~But Old is good in some things: Old Songs, Old movies, and best of
all, OLD FRIENDS!!
Stay well, old friend, and let
them laugh in AGREEMENT!!! It's Not What You Gather, But What You
Scatter That Tells What Kind Of Life You Have Lived.
TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU'VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU'LL EVER BE,
SO ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.
Last edited:
Great post can relate to everything, my youngest is almost 30 and my oldest just turned 39 
