There are days when I feel like I'm battling the tide. I expect a lot of seniors feel the same way. Seniors, I'm a senior. Well actually I'm junior, Dad is senior, just because he passed away in 1990 that didn't change. But I know they are just talking about age. I'm old! It's nothing new to me though as I've been called old since I was about thirty five. I know, that's not old. I was in the Navy then and having been in the Navy for fifteen years to many I was old. You have to remember a great deal of the people I was dealing with were in there twenties. When you are in your twenties thirty five is pretty old. Those same folks presented me with a shadow box containing the ribbons and medals I was awarded over my career. One inscription on there calls me " Father Time " That was a name they often used when talking about me. It was all in good fun. Just another example of time and relativity. Time and tide wait for no man is an old adage, one I heard my Grandmother say many times. She didn't believe in wasting time. There are only so many hours in a day you know! I feel like I'm battling the tide of change, not time. Now I'm not against change. The thing to remember is, not all change is good. Oh I know the first impression of change is its' a good thing, that's what most think. Well at least change that frees them of some constraint. If everyone is doing it, it must be alright. That's the kind of change everyone wants, everyone embraces. Take smoking pot as an example. It should be legalized! It's no worse than drinking alcohol. If it's not worse it's okay, the standard used for comparison isn't being judged, just the pot. That's the kind of change I'm talking about. A change in the moral standard. Consider the language many use in everyday conversation. I'd say compared to thirty years ago it has degraded considerably. Certainly wouldn't call it polite! But its' accepted isn't it? Yes it is accepted for the most part as an everyday thing, no one is particularity shocked when an " F " bomb is dropped. Even politicians do that, it's only wrong depending upon your political affiliation. If that person belongs to your party, he or she is just being " real." If they don't they are crass and uncouth. Probably grounds to be impeached! That's because the standard is flexible these days. We'll call it change.
I expect it is always the same and always will be. It doesn't change the way I feel. Each person adopts a moral standard. When that standard begins to shift it is unsettling. It's similar to standing in the sand when the waves rush back to the sea. The sand is pulled from under your feet, you feel unstable, you fight to regain balance. There are those that will simply sit down, surrender to that pull. There are others that will run for the shore. But I'm one that stands there, defiant. I will not be swept away with the tide. I've never been one to just go with the tide. Never been much of a follower. Fad and fashion were never a big interest of mine. I don't really care what the popular opinion is, what the popular answer may be. No just repeating the answers from rote has never been a long suit of mine. It's true, I have never been one of the cool kids. The reason for that is simple enough, I didn't always agree with the changes. You can't be popular when you have an unpopular opinion. Now it's also true I've never been much of a leader either. I know that because a leader would have followers, I don't have followers. So that leaves me just fighting the tide going in and going out. Some things never change.
I know I'm not going to win against the tide, no one does. That's alright, no changes there. The only thing that changes are our perceptions. The struggle is not to lose perspective. It is easy to just go along with the crowd, fit in and be accepted. People love it when people agree with them. I know that for a fact, I love it too. It is a skill I'm afraid I never mastered, I always wind up saying something that upsets folks. Well, the ones that are my friends understand that because they are standing there with me. I have been lucky to have friends like that. As I said the struggle is not to lose perspective. The best way to do that is to remain where you are. Don't sit down, don'r run for the shore, just stand there and face the tide. The water will change, it is ever changing, but your perspective remains the same. The world around us is much the same, always changing, sometimes peaceful and calm, at other times the storm rages. Maintain perspective though and you'll get through.
I expect it is always the same and always will be. It doesn't change the way I feel. Each person adopts a moral standard. When that standard begins to shift it is unsettling. It's similar to standing in the sand when the waves rush back to the sea. The sand is pulled from under your feet, you feel unstable, you fight to regain balance. There are those that will simply sit down, surrender to that pull. There are others that will run for the shore. But I'm one that stands there, defiant. I will not be swept away with the tide. I've never been one to just go with the tide. Never been much of a follower. Fad and fashion were never a big interest of mine. I don't really care what the popular opinion is, what the popular answer may be. No just repeating the answers from rote has never been a long suit of mine. It's true, I have never been one of the cool kids. The reason for that is simple enough, I didn't always agree with the changes. You can't be popular when you have an unpopular opinion. Now it's also true I've never been much of a leader either. I know that because a leader would have followers, I don't have followers. So that leaves me just fighting the tide going in and going out. Some things never change.
I know I'm not going to win against the tide, no one does. That's alright, no changes there. The only thing that changes are our perceptions. The struggle is not to lose perspective. It is easy to just go along with the crowd, fit in and be accepted. People love it when people agree with them. I know that for a fact, I love it too. It is a skill I'm afraid I never mastered, I always wind up saying something that upsets folks. Well, the ones that are my friends understand that because they are standing there with me. I have been lucky to have friends like that. As I said the struggle is not to lose perspective. The best way to do that is to remain where you are. Don't sit down, don'r run for the shore, just stand there and face the tide. The water will change, it is ever changing, but your perspective remains the same. The world around us is much the same, always changing, sometimes peaceful and calm, at other times the storm rages. Maintain perspective though and you'll get through.
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