10 Commandments of aging
June 2002 Chambersburg
Bummy Basketti
Whenever I think of Chambersburg, I think of water. A rainy spring. Frankly, I’ve never liked water. Years of swim lessons.. hated them all.. then.. girl at town creek. Lifeguard! Final test: three phases.. shallow water carry, save a fighting victim. … five laps of pool with clothes on… gradually took them off Jumped out of pool wearing only my skivvies. Local newspaper, the Pike Press, there that day. You are in, or about to enter, or will some day enter, this thing called Your Golden Years. It’s too hot for heavy, meaningful speeches.. I want to give you only one real piece of advice… If you want to stay afloat in this business of growing older, you’ve got to strip down to the essentials… drop the things that hold you back from truly enjoying what God has given you.. Jump out of the pool with your skivvies on.
As a result… My Ten Commandments For Aging with Style. In other words, how to serve with Joy at your age.
I can’t feature Charlton Heston coming down the mountain in his robe holding these. Think instead of Mel Gibson in cutoff jeans and holding beautifully wrapped present with your name on it. (And those of you who are still savoring the mental image of me standing beside the Pittsfield pool in wet skivvies… stop it!… You’ll miss the best part of my speech.
COMMANDMENT NUMBER ONE! Just when you think you’ve given all you have to give, Thou shalt Give More! Lots of self-help books… Take care of your inner child..don’t be afraid to tell people “No.” Wouldn’t that be a sweet world? I teach a generation of kids who need you very badly. -----Kidnap your grandkids from school and go for a picnic. They need you more than they need me. So what if you’re arrested? It’ll be a moment they’ll cherish forever. We often kidnap kids at camp.. 3 in the morning. You want to get depressed? Think about yourself. Want to feel great? Get involved with others. Albert Sweitzer… The only ones among you who will be truly happy in life are those who’ve sought and found out how to serve others. Just when you think you’ve given all you can give, Thou Shalt Give More!
COMMANDMENT #2 Thou shalt stop griping… Whoever said.. “Get it off your chest…” …… It brings you down and makes you a real pain to the rest of us. Charlie Rose… Johnstone.. nation’s leading architect as age 90. The hottest place in hell is reserved for gripers and complainers. “If life were 100 times longer, there would still be no excuse for getting bored.”
COMMANDMENT #3: Thou Shalt Break The Dress Code…. (Not your employers, but your own personal…) Me.. no tie to church one day………. Jim Kern…… Mrs. Brown When you have an 82 year old dad who still dresses as a clown and drops his pants in public, you don’t care much for dress codes.
Clothing does affect how you feel. I hope you’re wearing what you want today.
I hate socks.. This is killing me today. Little lady in our Arenzville retirement home.. uses a cane.. always topped with the most gorgeous, fresh flower.
Thou Shalt Break Your Dress Code….
COMMANDMENT # 4: Thou Shalt be an Encourager! Marie….. salt and pepper shakers Develop friends who encourage you. I’ve spent the last two weeks with 150 campers under age of 10. I’ve had to write two plays so far this summer and one more to go before September. Friday morning my next camp starts. I don’t need money, I don’t need a doctor or a carpenter or a dance teacher.. I simply need encouragers. This morning…26 emails concerning camp. My camp manager sent me 14 pages of suggestions and comments. Then I got a phone call..Rick.. “Hey, it was a great camp.” The only message I needed.
COMMANDMENT #5: Thou Shalt not Take Yourself Too Seriously… Me: Chillocothe… Roger Ebert Matt… baritone.
Loosen up.. after you get to a certain age, you aren’t crazy, just eccentric. Go ahead and have the real salad dressing the skip the low-fat stuff. Hardees.. “Have a nice day.” Why?
COMMANDMENT # 6: Thou shalt turn your worry into prayer. Book.. Don’t Sweat the Small stuff .. and It’s All Small Stuff. “When you die, your In Box won’t be empty.” You will NEVER get it all done. Billy Graham.. two ladies. And if you can’t stop, then make yourself a deal… for every minute worry: 1 min prayer. (If you’re an atheist, go hire a nice Baptist friend to pray for you. What’s it gonna hurt?)
Corrie Ten Boom; Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.
Last Day of school last year. Travis.. drug trouble.. meeting with superintendent.. Dylan came in.. I want to talk about Travis.. I think we should pray for him. Tears in supt’s eyes. Turn your worry into prayer.
COMMANDMENT # 7 Thou Shalt Lighten up and live a little! : (Almost the same as Commandment #5..That’s because it’s a good one..and besides, whoever heard of the Nine Commandments)
Beardstown ladies… …. Sydney Australia.
COMMANDMENT # 8: Thou Shalt Cause a little trouble and get Rowdy.
PERRY: Pop Van Pelt… would go out into the back yard about ten o’clock at night and shoot off his shotgun. Town cop would go running down there. “Town’s too derned quiet.”
Good friend of mine in one of Jacksonville’s largest churches.. Would always attend the early service and sit up front. Shout “Amen!” Preacher: Could you restrain yourself a little? Friend: No. When I think of God I just get too excited.
The adults I enjoy the most are those who haven’t forgotten how to be children.
COMMANDMENT # 9: THOU SHALT TAKE CHARGE OF THINE OWN MOODS. And not let the world do it for you. My great-grandmother’s diary… we found…Typical Day.. wash floors, milked then let the cows out to pasture, gathered the eggs.. then went upstairs and woke up the men for breakfast.” Every day: “This is just about the finest day ever.”
Mom… Alcatraz
You’ll never be able to please everyone.. Hiney the Mule
COMMANDMENT #9 ½ : THOU SHALT EAT MORE ICE CREAM. You’ve earned it……..
COMMANDMENT 9.75 : THOU SHALT SPOIL THY ONLY BEGOTTEN GRANDCHILDREN. This is your job. It’s your God-given duty. ---Kids wouldn’t play at my house because of my dad. He’d spank you whether you belonged there or not! ….. Now.. he’ll drive any distance, sit through any concert, endure any JHS football score, just to watch a grandson. ---Parents are not supposed to have fun raising kids.. you are! 2nd Coonridge book…AROUND THE WORLD….Alaska, one of most favorite places. I was talking to our room steward.. both looking at a glacier..I was excited, he was tired. That’s because I was on vacation but he was doing his job. It was just like having grandkids. It’s your job to enjoy the glaciers.
COMMANDMENT # 10 Thou Shalt show the rest of us how to praise God! After all, you’re closer to heaven than some of us and you need to give us a taste of what it’s gonna be like. You have more stories of faith than any minister or Chicken Soup for the Soul book ever heard. ----Church lady
We sit around bemoaning the fact that our youth aren’t more involved in church, then hold church services that would depress a hyena. G’pa Orr in Pentecostal Service.
END You are a precious, precious resource for your church and your community. These can and should be your most precious years. Lighten up! Shake it off! Cause some trouble! And jump out of the pool wearing only your skivvies! And God Bless You!
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