Copyrighted 2008
Robert J. Tinsky, Guest Essayist

Edith Clark was the grandmother of our daughter's husband. She died earlier this year at the ripe old age of 99. Edith lived alone in her house for several years following the death of her husband, Charlie.

On the front porch of her house there is a flower planter. Every spring her daughter-in-law would plant some flowers in it and put a bucket of water on the porch so Edith could regularly water these plants. About two years before Edith passed away her daughter-in-law, thinking it was getting to be too difficult for Edith to water these plants, suggested that she put some artificial flowers in the planter. Edith immediately gave her a disgusted look and said, "I ain't dead yet." Talk about spunk!

Too many times those of us who are senior citizens get the idea we can't do anything anymore because we are too old. Can't do anything anymore? Balderdash! (That word means "nonsense, foolishness, trash). It is nonsense to think that just because we have had a lot of birthdays there is nothing left for us to do.

I can give you many examples of people who were still productive in their latter years. John Wesley, at age 88 still preached every day (not just on Sunday but every day). Tennyson published the poem "Crossing the Bar" when he was only 82. Benjamin Franklin went to France in the service of our country when he was 78. Michaelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, lying almost on his back on a scaffold at age 90. We have all read of people who, in their 70's and 80's, earned a college degree.

There is something every one of us senior citizens can do. I turned 82 this year. Last year I served as president of the board of directors of our Mobile Home Park in Florida. I am chaplain in our park and lead in a Vespers service twice a month. I am also in charge of the Senior Citizen program in our church when I am in Florida. Last fall I had an interim ministry for four months and preached every Sunday morning and evening and led a Bible study every Wednesday. Currently I am writing my second book. I just finished putting together a pictorial biography of my father who lived to be 97. I say all this not to brag but to illustrate that there are still things that can be done even when we have become senior citizens.

I don't know what your "thing" is but I do know there is something you can do even though you may be advanced in age and may have some physical handicaps. It may be something as simply as sending cards of encouragement or talking on the phone to help relieve not only your own loneliness but that of others who live alone.

Years ago former President, Herbert Hoover, offered this advice to senior citizens: "There is no joy to be had from retirement except some kind of productive work. Otherwise you will degenerate into talking to everybody about your pains and income tax. The other oldsters will want to talk about their own pains and pills and income tax."

So, let me give a little bit of advice to you old "duffers." Next time you say, "I am too old to do anything, say to yourself what Edith said to her daughter-in-law, 'I ain't dead yet."

THANKS BOB, you give us a little more time when you say it like that.
THE WORDWRIGHT