Friday, December 14, 2007

 

Praise the Lord, I see the light!

Got a letter today from the Neptune Society. I had no idea what the Neptune Society was and I usually just toss that kind of Mail without even opening it. However, for some reason, I open it, slow mail day. The letter detailed the service they provided, cremation, and wondered if I wanted to plan for their services now and pay ahead of time. Wow, when I turned 50, I started getting letters from AARP wanting me to join. I thought it was a little early, because technically, I shouldn't be eligible until I was 55. It wasn't long until I really was eligible to join AARP. Is this new solicitation a harbinger of something right around the corner?

Dustin Hoffman was the guest of the Tonight Show sometime in late 2006. During the small talk with Jay Leno, Dustin was talking about where he was in life and said he could now see the light at the end of the tunnel. When Jay asked him what he was talking about, Dustin explained. When he was thirty, statically, he hadn't even lived half of his life. When he was 40, there was a good chance he had more than half of his life left. When he was 50, it was still possible he was only half way home. But now, in his mid 60's, he could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I have to laugh when I remember my 40th birthday party at Transco. The people in the department really had a neat surprise birthday party for me, Gag gifts and Bob Kelly's famous carrot cake. Bob would bake a cake for the party, but he had another he put away for me to take home. Bob Kelley makes the best carrot cake I have ever tasted. Anyway, during a lull in the party I found myself with this one guy that I didn't really associate with nor did we work on the same business functions. I guess he felt like he had to make some small talk, I really didn't. He said, "so your 40, do you realize that's more than half your life". I just looked at him not knowing how to respond.

Maybe it's true, but I am really having a blast. I have always been a crack of nooner rather than a crack of dawner. A full day for me is getting up, hopefully in the late morning, or at least before noon; have a cup of coffee or two with Sharon while she watches the Today Show. I then watch 15 minutes of Amy Goodman on Democracy Now. I head to the MACAC for my exercise...I hope three days a week. During the school year, I watch some cartoons with Joellle for a hour or so on Monday and Wednesday, then off to Luby's for dinner. Back home to watch TV until midnight. Get on the computer for a hour or so, try to get my cat in before going to bed. If I get the cat in, I have to wake up, if I am not still awake, to let the cat out between 5 and 6 AM. Now that's a full day. I am really enjoying my retirement. I love not having to be somewhere every day at some particular time. There is also something very nice about retirement. You have quality time with your spouse again. I'll bet Sharon doesn't feel the same about always having me under foot. She has always said that I am just like Pig Pen in the comics. Dirt just seems to follow me around.

Praise the Lord, I see the light.

Comments:
by the way, "Praise the Lord, I see the light" is an old Hank Williams song.
 
Socrates said something to the effect that one should contemplate one's death everyday. I think it's sort of a way to appreciate every day or carpe diem (seize the day).

Here is the quote I found: "Ordinary people seem not to realize that those who really apply themselves in the right way to philosophy are directly and of their own accord preparing themselves for dying and death."

I am not so wise as to be able to do this, but I always think of Socrates when I think of this kind of stuff.

Another good Socrates quote:
To fear death, my friends, is only to think ourselves wise, without being wise: for it is to think that we know what we do not know. For anything that men can tell, death may be the greatest good that can happen to them: but they fear it as if they knew quite well that it was the greatest of evils. And what is this but that shameful ignorance of thinking that we know what we do not know?


Link to the site with the quote: http://www.philosophyparadise.com/quotes/socrates.html
 
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