I read this every morning and it's not working, (smile)

Almighty God you know that I am growing older.

Keep me from becoming too talkative,
and particularly keep me from falling into the tiresome habit of expressing an opinion on every subject.

Release me from craving to straighten out everyone's affairs. Keep my mind free from recital of endless details.
Give me wings to get to the point.

Give me grace, dear GOD, to listen to others describe their aches and pains.
Help me endure the boredom with patience and keep my lips sealed,
for my own aches and pains are increasing in number and intensity,
and the pleasure of discussing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by.

Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally, I might be mistaken. Keep me reasonably sweet.
I do not wish to be a saint (Saints are so hard to live with), but a sour old person is the work of the devil.

Make me thoughtful, but not moody, helpful, but not pushy, independent,
yet able to accept with graciousness favors that others wish to bestow on me.

Free me of the notion that simply because I have lived a long time,
I am wiser than those who have not lived so long.

If I do not approve of some of the changes that have taken place in recent years, give me the wisdom to keep my mouth shut.

GOD knows that when the end comes,
I would like to have a friend or two left.

Thanks for that John.

Spot on!

YES, YES, YES; I've been saying this for years. There are few things more annoying (to me, anyway) than old men dispensing 'wisdom' to other old men....as though we haven't been through the same s..t, seen the same things, learned the same lessons. If you still feel compelled to do it, at least confine it to pre-teens and teens and spare us fellow ol' farts. We already have enough other things to annoy us. It's not enough just to read it though, we also need to practice it. Besides, 'wisdom' is totally wasted on ol' folks, 'cause if they haven't learned it by now, they ain't gonna'. JMO.

chas (un-wise and at peace with it)

On Friday, I intend to sit down at the PC and write my obituary - right after I finish the doing the income tax. It's something I've been meaning to do, but lately, it comes to mind more often than it should. My wife said it would be a good idea, especially when she and I realize that death is knocking on the door a lot from frequently that I would like to think about it.

Today, I went for a cat scan of my thyroid, which is now enlarged. The doc said that more than likely it is contributing to my breathing difficulties, but when I asked about having it removed, she said I probably would not survive the anesthesia. Wonderful! She said that there is a possibility that we could slow the growth with medications, though.

So, tomorrow, I will be transporting my S-950 to another repair guy, one that is far more competent than the previous guy who had it for three weeks and couldn't figure out how to do the job. Then, as soon as I get home, I'll start on the taxes, which should not take long since I am fully retired.

When I finish the Obit, I'll have Carol proof read it, and upon my untimely demise, she will post it here. As my old friend Bruno (John) said, I'm not smarter just because I have lived so long. Longevity really doesn't have a lot to do with intelligence. However, my life's experiences have taught me a lot more than I could ever have imagined. And, those experiences allowed me to convey that information to others. That's, IMO, is what life is all about.

Good thread,

Gary

My obit needs to say three things:
he was born
he lived
he died

My family and friends know what I've contributed in this life ..

Gary, your post says so much, as always. You are older, and true, that does not make you smarter. But the experiences you had in those later years gave you valuable knowledge, that knowledge can become wisdom.
(Knowing how to handle the knowledge you gained)

You are special my friend, John C.

My obit will include this paragraph:

"Chas requested six Atlanta Falcons as pallbearers so the Falcons can let him down one last time".

chas

Chas, I almost fell out of my chair laughing!

Russ