Who we are

 There are various things people say about getting older. I'm certain you have heard quite a few. I'm told I should be grateful for getting this old as many have not had that privilege. Still, I'm not that old, only seventy one. I have lots of classmates, friends and co-workers older than that. So, yeah I still feel relatively young. I am the baby in my family after all. I've always been the youngest. I expect to die that way as well. Age is just a number. 

  There are things you discover about aging along the way. It does come with some aches and pains, a few challenges. It also has some perks, you can use your age as an excuse for leaving the party early. I don't think the elderly are afforded as much deference as they used to be given. Not that I'm elderly mind you, far from that, but I have noticed a lack of respect from the younger folks. It's a general shift in the cultural norm. The world has become a more aggressive place in my estimation. People are angry and defensive. The righteous on the rise! 

  I was watching the news and another celebrity death was reported. I don't recall exactly who but someone of some fame. I mentioned the other day that these deaths appear to come in threes, but not this time, there have been a few more. Perhaps it is just because of this information age we are living in. Not much happens that we don't hear about. I see lots of notices on Facebook as well. Each has to be verified carefully though. Well, celebrity deaths have always had that issue. Mark Twain famously said, " the reports of my death are greatly exaggerated." Still I read and hear about that quite often. And as I heard about one more I had this thought, "one of the worst things about growing old is seeing your heroes die." Consider the "Highwaymen" the only one left standing today is Willie Nelson. There were in that group referred to as our radio heroes by George Jones in his song. 

  Yes, that is a sad part about aging, seeing your heroes die. Some are family members, some are friends, some are strangers, but all inspired you in some fashion. Those that we emulate. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. That is only a portion of the full quote; "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness." (Oscar Wilde) We all become who we are by using pieces of our heroes. Influences and choices. The older we get the harder it becomes to influence us. It is also harder for us to change our choices. That's simply because you can't change the past. We become who we are, nothing more, nothing less.