There Are Two Sides to Everything

There are two sides to everything.

I happened to be clearing COVID questions before an eye examination yesterday. The “gatekeeper” was decrying the state of the pandemic. I merely said, “Well, we don’t have the black death, dengue fever, yellow fever, scurvy and a few others.” A fellow off to the side, in the sourest way, growled, “Yeah! tell that to all the people who have died.” Ah me, I wish I knew one thing as well as this guy knows everything, they say. I saved my breath and am sure Cicero would have done the same.

We can think of things one dimensionally – my or no way. In other words, we can focus on the downside of our nearly minute-to-minute struggles with obstacles, or we can see the other side. How about beginning your study of how it is to live the Good Life and perhaps reading Cicero on growing old? We can view our eventuality as a horrible prospect with a river of constant fear, or we can see that growing old is a real privilege and not so bad after all. We all do it; how we do it matters. Plan for growing old with vigor and vitality, and you will.

When we work for eventful second, or third, or fourth acts in our life that are overall untroubled, that is what pretty much happens. Yes, it’s not all kumquats and ice cream, but overall, worth the living of it. I observe we can have another career in retirement to do things that matter. For example, we develop the habit of reading so that when we do retire from money for work, we can read books that inform, enlighten, and inspire us. (I can’t wait to read to grandchildren!) Thus, we grow old well because we have lived well. We learn to be calm among storms, to find purpose in living by doing what is right, to gaining wisdom, to being strengthened by taking challenges, and that less is more. Develop an appreciation for what is natural. We are programmed for these things if we learn how to pursue them because we do it for a lifetime.

Always remember this, they are watching, especially the youngsters.