Frank J. Buchman

Cowboy • Horseman • Writer

Old Age Is All In The Perspective

Evidently, we are old.

More often, others are insinuating that. We do frequently refer to ourself as the Old Man, although typically in jest. However, it has generally been a fact, in comparison of the group we’ve been referring to. Nobody is older in our regular office staff, and most of the rest of the time, those we are making contact with are our junior.


So it has become an accurate tagline we actually inherited from our dad. He’d often identify himself that way when making calls. So it’s come naturally for us to do the same, although we really don’t think we are “that” old. Our decrepit physique  accompanied by eccentric verbal expressions must make others consider us one of the old crowd.

On recent occasions, we’ve had the younger set insinuate we were becoming elder. The first time offended us when a cashier asked if we wanted the “Senior Discount.” It was obvious we looked old to her, but we didn’t really mind 15 percent off the tab.

Now, we’ve even become inclined to ask, “What do you have that’s lowered priced for old men.” Without hesitation, the worker offers everything that’s available, never   questioning our qualification of maturity.

One exception was when we were going into different smoke and alcohol tents at Country Stampede to nose around — not to consume of merchandize we must emphasize. However, neither business would allow us inside, without proof of age. One fellow had the gump to say, “I can tell you are old, but I still need proof of it.”

When one is in kindergarten, eighth graders are old. Freshmen think seniors are old.
Thirty-nine is over the hill to a 21-year-old. Then all of a sudden, 59 isn’t so old after all. It’s young compared to one who’s 70, then ask him, and old is 85. But to that fellow, it’s 90 or 100. Putting it all in perspective, we are only as old as we feel.

Some days we do feel old. Others we could whip the world, although we know we really can’t. It does scare us when we look in the mirror and wonder who that old man is staring back at us. Then we drop our head down and can’t see our belt buckle, and we know. Yep, all those other folks are right. We really are old.

As compared to what? Consolations are we’ve outlived others who didn’t make it this far. There are folks even older than we are. Actually, a lot of the population is more mature than us, but that really is hard for our nine-year-old grandson to understand. What is he going to think when we have a horse race with him when he’s 59, and we’re 109?

Reminds us of Judges 19:17: “And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city: and theold man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?” Likewise is Judges 19:20: “And the old man said, Peace be with thee; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.”

Most importantly is Second Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.”

+++ALLELUIA+++

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