“Time Waits For No Man!”

Just when I thought I was done posting for the year 2016, something else popped into my head. Allow me to share with you what popped into my head around 4 or 4:30 AM this morning.

Woke about thirty minutes ago and, well, what can I say – once my mind starts – it just doesn’t want to turn back off. So, rather than lie in bed just thinking about things I might want to write about, I decided to get up and get them on paper. Several quotes ran through my head – first one being the following:

“Time waits for no man!” At the moment I cannot remember who coined this quote (I will probably look it up on Google before I am done with this writing) but as I thought about 2016 and the fact that in two days it will be over and we get to start a new year – 2017 – I also started planning in my head what it is I would like to accomplish in the new year.

Why now, because – the loss of many relatives and friends in 2016 makes one realize that life is shorter than we think. I have things I would still like to do before leaving this earth and hence I intend to pay attention to that quote above – time isn’t going to wait for me – if there is something I want to do and I am both physically and mentally able – barring the fact that it isn’t financially impossible – dad gum it – I hope to do it. To quote yet another favorite person of mine, namely Larry the Cable Guy – “Git R Done!”

As mentioned there were several quotes rushing through my head as I lie there deciding if I wanted to get up at such a weird hour (at the time it was a little after 4 AM) and another one was an old Pennsylvania Dutch saying that goes like this: “We Grow Too Soon Oldt and Too Late Schmart!” (forgive the spelling as it makes it more interesting and comical).

When I think of things I would like to do yet in this lifetime, I remind myself that I am no “spring chicken” anymore but then that brings to mind yet another thought that tends to pop in our heads as we go through this aging process and that is “If I knew back then what I know now – just think of where I might be today!”

Problem is we are here right now and we have acquired (hopefully) a bit of knowledge over the years and that knowledge has proven to provide us with a comfortable life (not rich by any means but not living on the streets either) and so we are quite thankful we have what we have.

Fortunately we are both still physically and mentally fit and as such hope to do some more wild and crazy things while we still can. If not now – when? A brand new year is right around the corner which can mean new beginnings.

Getting old and slowing down doesn’t have to mean it’s time to sit on the couch chomping on Cheetos and watching the boob tube. It merely means we now have the time to seek out and do things we may have only dreamed about doing in our younger, more carefree years.

But before I move on with this train of thought – allow me to say that I will be the first one to realize the fact that not all of us are physically fit or for that matter, financially able to do many of the “dreams” I make mention of. I can think of quite a few that are or would be on my so-called “bucket list” were I to have one, but fact of the matter is I am also the realist in that I know that there are quite a few things I would like to do that I know I cannot do due to the age I am, as well as our present financial situation.

But, it doesn’t stop us from dreaming – after all, what better way to cope with all the craziness in the world today than to dream up things we would like to do knowing some might be possible while others are probably “pie-in-the-sky dreams. I think it was Walt Disney who said “If you can dream it – you can do it!”

Well, I for one hope to go into the year 2017 with the thought that if I can dream it and  going on the assumption that I am physically, mentally, and financially able to do so – by gum I may just attempt to do it. Keep in mind the fact that this blog is referred to as a place where an old fart rants and raves. I am merely ranting and raving in my wild and crazy manner. It keeps me sane!

Until next time!

P.S. Seeing that this may be my last post for 2016 –

Happy New Year!

Be talking at you in the new year and hope to share many more posts with you in the future.

Out with the old – in with the new!

Well, here it is folks, 2016 is rapidly fading into the sunset and 2017 will soon make it’s presence known in all its glory.

Lately, I keep saying to myself that either I have lost my muse or that I no longer have anything to say. But that is not the case – neither scenario is the correct one.

What is correct is the fact that my life (our life) is quite the busy life and while attempting to convince myself I do not have anything to write about – truth-be-told – “life” in all its wonderful glory has been occupying my time so much that it isn’t that I don’t have anything to write about – it is that our days are so full – actually “living life” that – what I don’t have or seem to be able to conjure up – is time to write about our everyday happenings.

Someone, whose value I hold rather highly, recently read some of my mad quips that I tend to jot off first thing in the morning on my Facebook Page, and made a comment that – there you are Irwin – you were looking for your “niche” and in searching for it – it may have found you!

She was referring to the fact that, bottom line, my intentions or end game, if you will, is to make people smile, quite possibly laugh, and in general start their day on a happy note. The way I do that is by always looking for the comedy in whatever happens. When I read articles or what have you, I seek out funny aspects of the story so as to either share as they are written or put my own wild and crazy bizarre twist to them.

I am sitting here writing this piece at the moment, knowing full well that it may be my last article for the year as the balance of the year will go by rather quickly. We are expecting the arrival of a dear friend from Canada tomorrow, a visit from our son who lives in California, and along with that there is our involvement in both year-end activities as well as festivities welcoming the new year – that of 2017. So there won’t be much time for writing.

Having said all that and thinking about today’s daily word prompt – “Ovation” – which is a sustained and enthusiastic show of appreciation from an audience, especially by means of applause – I am reminded of a quote by Seth Godin that sort of sums up not only today but the entire year: “It’s entirely possible that there won’t be a standing ovation at the end of your journey. That’s okay. At least you have lived.”

And so, while at times I feel that I am losing out because I did not get to post as often as I would like, looking back over not only 2016 but prior years as well, I know that we have lived our lives to the fullest. With that thought in mind, I also know that beginning in 2017, I will, once again, find the words needed to share with everyone and they will be words to make you laugh and smile.

Until 2017!

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/ovation

What’s in the word “Fishing?”

“Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish that they are after.”

• Henry David Thoreau

Think about it – when we are young children we would more than likely sneak down to the living room and check out how many presents were under the tree Christmas Eve – just fishing for an idea of what mom or dad may have gotten us.

In our high-school years, we fish for comments as to which girl might have a hankering towards us so that we might just pick a date for the high-school prom.

Fishing was also another name for a strategy used by guys on the beach to pick up chicks.

On the assumption that we truly loved to fish – who couldn’t wait for that vacation so that we might throw the fishing gear in the back of our truck and head out for some peace and solitude just fishing, drinking beer, and telling stories about the big one that got away..

And then there are the one-uppers who are always fishing for information to use to their advantage as they attempt to move up the ladder of success at work.

Me, well, truth-be-told, I used to love to go fishing when I was a kid but nowadays the only fishing I seem to do is fish for ideas to use in this blog, on my other site – retirement-online.com and when I am seeking ideas for my monthly column “Irwin Ponders” in our community newsletter. Good news is – it is working!

With that let me end this post with an old  but very familiar Chinese proverb:

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/fishing

MISSING!

Now that our adventure of almost three weeks is over, my plan is to get back to weekly blogging without missing a beat! Yeah, right – I am already behind and we are only back 6 days!

While we were gone, I attempted to write some new material which I will be posting here. In addition, when time permits, possible rants and raves using whatever daily word prompt that might suit my fancy.

I personally prefer to write comical material – you know – that stuff that brings a smile to your face and a possible chuckle or two.

So, having said that, allow me to mention one of the things I realize about aging – especially on a cruise – and taking various tours – my mind makes contracts that my body cannot meet.

Also, as those of you who may have had the opportunity to cruise in the past – you know just how much food is set before us seniors. Well, I learned a valuable rule/lesson during this recent adventure and that is when out with friends:

I will make it a point to be sure that those dining with me eat more than I do – that way I will continue to look thinner even though the scale will say I gained.

Gosh, how I missed the fun I get out of sharing funny thoughts with those of you crazy enough to follow my rants and raves.

Well, having been gone almost three weeks and with Christmas just around the corner, I will cut this post short so that I can play catch up with the work that needs to be done in addition to the purchasing of presents and wrapping of same.

But, it is good to be back writing again and I look forward to posting more often……………. or not …….you know us writers!

Until next time!

 

What’s in a Word?

Being one that loves to write but at times has problems knowing what to say when staring at a blank page, the conundrum is that I am at a loss for words while responding to today’s daily word prompt post.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/conundrum