by Ed Donner

Created on: November 12, 2009

Life does not have to end after you pass the half-century mark. Many will tell you that "it is all down hill after fifty", but I can personally testify that aging has some benefits. To paraphrase Greta Garbo, getting older is better than the alternative. Aside from that advantage, however, yes, it is pretty much all down hill after 50. But don't let this discourage you. If you embrace a few simple truths you may find that growing old gracefully has advantages over death. For example, I'm not sure that you have access to cable T.V. after you die.

If you are feeling gloomy about the prospects of growing older, set your fears aside. I have collected four pearls of wisdom that will help you deal gracefully with the common problems of aging. I have learned something in these fifty-plus years and I figure I should take this opportunity to pass this wisdom on. I owe this to my children and to posterity. Also it has become clear to me that in a matter of a few years I will probably have forgotten most of what I know. That is why I need to share this. If I know somebody else knows this stuff, then I can ask them after I have forgotten it.

So if our virtual paths cross and if I ever ask you what wisdom or truth I have passed on, you refer me to this little essay. Please bookmark this article. I'd look it up on my own but I probably won't be able to find it. Or when I'm looking for it I'll forget what I'm looking for. On the other hand, I probably won't remember to ask you about it.

This brings me to my first pearl of wisdom, my most salient observation about life in the old-farts lane is contained here in Pearl of Wisdom #1...What I'm trying to say is, that after over 50 year of indelible experiences, your memory....your memory....your memory....what was it I was going to say? It's on the tip of my tongue. I think it was something about memory. Oh, well. It wasn't important. Wait a minute. I think I remember now. I think I was going to say I'm having problems with my memory. I suspect this memory problem may have something to do with stuff I did in the 70s but quite frankly I don't remember too much of the 70s so I can't be too sure.

This brings us to my second point. As you age it's a good thing to examine yourself. You can't rest on your laurels. You probably shouldn't rest on somebody else's laurels either. Not for long anyhow. Maybe they would let you rest on them while they're out running an errand or something, but sooner or later they're going to come back

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