I never would have thought that I would get old. The odds that I would live past thirty were far and away against me from the start. Some of the wild things I did early on should have taken me but in the end I outlasted them and, well, here I am.
I just spent four long days with a friend of mine on a road trip to Texas. He is almost 80. His mind is going but he thinks he still has good judgement. Some of the things he says and does are so totally out of the realm of reality I can't even respond to them for fear of hurting my friend's feelings. I wouldn't know what to say anyway. His opinions are all but set in concrete.
I had to stop for a minute yesterday to remind myself that I could be him in a few years, if I actually make it that far.
What we do with our lives is so very important. I never used to think about the consequences of my actions but more and more I consider them.What I do matters. What you do matters.
Everything we say or do matters and we have to be aware of the ones around us and how we react to their actions and opinions. I'm not saying keep silent. Not at all. I'm saying be aware and responsive in a positive way. Give good advice and follow it yourself; don't just give advice for the giving's sake. Too many want to 'give advice' but refuse to live by the opinion as a standard. That's being judgmental and somewhat prejudice.
In the end I helped my friend. He is like a father figure to me anyway so I have to do what I can, given the opportunity. He looked back as I was driving away and I could see him in the rear view mirror.
"See ya later, Buddy...."
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