Goats get zero jay walking tickets in Barbados, West Indies.
Country Girl
I didn’t always want a simple life. In fact, I thought that country living was the simple life. I wanted the city life.
I longed to live above restaurants, and call for taxi’s like “Mary Tyler Moore”. Funny thing is that although I moved from the country at nineteen years of age, I never once really lived in a proper “city”.
The Mary Tyler Moore show ran from 1970 to 1977.
A Simple Life I grew up in the time that success meant “three kids and a dog, a house with a white picket fence and owning a business.” I spent many many years chasing that dream. I didn’t get the three kids, but I did have a big ass house, and a business that didn’t make enough money to pay for that big ass house without a job.
One of the best things that happened for me was to come to a place in my adult life where I questioned everything. And after thirty years of living in suburbs outside of big cities, I’m living in the country again. But I KNOW now that where you live has nothing to do with living a simple life.
Check out my video below and consider a simpler life.
Simple things to enjoy in life may be right outside your door.
The phone rings. You see that name and inhale deeply before answering. You already know it’s gonna be the same old story, but you pick up anyway because it’s your family, friend, or whomever.
Today, I will introduce you to a tool, that if used properly, will prevent YOU from becoming the “dreaded caller” to your loved ones.
You should have called me.
Check out the video below, and share it with that person in your world that gets picked up on the last ring before voicemail.
By 2020, the number of people aged 60 years and older will outnumber children younger than 5 years.WHO
Young Old – Middle Old – Old Old – I just turned sixty-one, and I will retire in one year. Young old starts at 65, which makes me pre-young old. I had planned to work until 65 to get more social security, but after looking at my aging Mom, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins who are in their mid seventies and eighties (middle old), I realized that it’s only a matter of time before my body starts to slow down.
It’s more urgent to me to have enjoyable meaningful experiences to reflect on when I’m ninety (old old), than to get a couple more dollars to pay for geriatric care (if Black Jesus spares my life).
I remember being excited when I was able to get my 10% senior discount at Ross at age 55.
How Can I Not Get Old? My Mom tells me not to get old, and she says that a lot. She’s frustrated that her 84 year old body(old-old) does not perform the same tasks she’s done for years with the same ease. Hurting knees, high blood pressure, and diabetes are daily companions, but she still rakes the yard, gets on the riding mower, and walks up and down stairs 100 times a day. Mom refuses to get internet so we can monitor her with cameras, she won’t carry a cell phone, and she has told me that she is not afraid to die.
Mom and great granddaughter Alaina.
I don’t know how to not get old, except to stop being alive. But I do know how to enjoy being alive because I know what makes me happy.
I’ma keep it moving for as long as I can.
I know I can affect my physical body by exercising and eating decent. I know I can affect my mental body by learning new things and ways of doing stuff. I know I can affect my emotional body by paying attention to my feelings, and doing more of what makes me feel good, like listening to music, and less of what’s makes me feel stressed, like watching the news. I know I can affect my spiritual body by closing my eyes, placing my hand on my heart and knowing that I AM.
Barbados, West Indies
Born Fi’ Dead The end game is the same of every single human. No one gets out alive. The World Health Organization reports that the worlds population over the age of 60 years will nearly double from 12% to 22% by 2050. But No One Knows How Much Time They Get On The Planet. My vegetarian, working out sister died at fifty-seven from cancer. We thought we would be old ladies sitting on the porch, looking after our parents. I take solace in the fact that she did retire early, even though I didn’t think it was a good idea, and that she traveled and enjoyed her life on this side. Maybe instead of waiting until we reach some magic age, weight, status or income, we should live each day as if it were one of our last five days on earth.
61st Birthday dance with my great nieces. Excuse the graininess.
It’s Not for Sissies I don’t feel old but younger people have been Yes ma’aming me and calling me Miss Regenna for some time. I go to bed really early. I don’t understand why I should pay the cost of a washer and dryer for an iPhone. My friends and I talk about aging a lot. My knees get stiff when I take a six hour drive to Mom’s. It’s harder than ever to lose 10 pounds. It takes longer to heal injuries. The language of young folks makes my head hurt at times, and I feel like I’m in a different world, (because of course I am).
In spite of aging, I’m determined to not become an old grouchy bored boring senior citizen. I’m still working on gender-neutral pronouns, and to understand why “bonnets” are such a hot topic. I believe our young folks learn more about life at an earlier age than we did, and with this knowledge, they will enjoy more of life. Although lots of mainstream music irritates my vagus nerve, I’ve discovered music by Jhené Aiko, HER and Snoh Aalegra, all artist that my 16 year old great niece and I enjoy, that allows us to connect and that makes me feel “younger”.
There’s Ash on the mountain top but the fire is still burning. I remember turning 60 and feeling that 62 would be forever getting here, but now it’s only eleven months away and I know that time will fly by. This realization forces me to FOCUS on how I DESIRE to spend my days after retirement, and what I should do NOW to get THERE from HERE.
I tell you I’m excited. I believe the Universe will deliver my innermost desires. I can’t wait to see how life turns out.
