AGE = OPPORTUNITY

JUNE 1945

IF I AM ASKED THE QUESTION OF HOW OLD I AM, I MENTION THAT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WAS STILL FIGHTING THE JAPANESE WHEN I WAS BORN.
TO ME, THAT BRINGS UP THE IMAGE OF THE GRAINY, BLACK AND WHITE NEWSREEL FILM OF PEARL HARBOR, PRESIDENT TRUMAN, THE ATOM BOMB, LEGAL SEGREGATION, BIG METAL AUTOMOBILES, HOMES WITHOUT TELEVISIONS, FAMILIES SITTING DOWN TO EAT DINNER TOGETHER, KIDS BEING ABLE TO STAY OUTSIDE PLAYING UNTIL DUSK, NEIGHBORS WHO WOULD TURN YOU IN TO YOUR PARENTS IF YOU WERE OUT OF LINE IN ANYWAY, EVERY PHONE CALL BEING A BIG DEAL, TAKING PHONE MESSAGES FOR NEIGHBORS WHO DID NOT HAVE A PHONE, SHOPPING DID NOT INVOLVE ANY KIND OF FROZEN FOOD, HAVING A QUARTER IN YOUR POCKET WAS A BIG DEAL, ADMIRING THE KIDS WHO WERE ADVENTUROUS ENOUGH TO HITCH THE BACK OF THE CITY BUS, BEING SO PROUD OF THE BROOKLYN DODGERS AND JACKIE ROBINSON, CAMPY AND NEWK, KNOWING NO MAN COULD BEAT MY FATHER AND NO WOMAN COULD COOK BETTER THAN MY MOTHER, NO SISTERS WERE MORE BEAUTIFUL AND NO BROTHERS COULD GET AWAY WITH MORE MISCHIEF THAN MINE.
THE GRAND EXPERIENCE OF LISTENING TO A STORY ON THE RADIO AND SEEING THE CHARACTERS SO CLEARLY IN YOUR MIND AND YELLING AT THE RADIO FOR THE HERO TO DUCK, THERE IS A BAD GUY HIDING BEHIND THE DOOR..
OF COURSE, EVERYONE COULD ADD TO MY SHORT LIST OF MEMORIES, BUT MY MEMORIES ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYONE ELSE'S, BECAUSE, THEY ARE MINE, BUT I CAN IMAGINE YOU MIGHT DISAGREE.
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WITH THE COMPUTER AGE, I WAS ABLE TO HIT A BUTTON AND LEARN THAT I AM --- >>>>>
61 years old
732 months old
3,183 weeks old
22,280 days old.
534,739 hours old
32,084,375 minutes old
1,925,062,553 seconds old

LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF DAYS -- HOW CAN PEOPLE LIVE THAT MANY DAYS AND CRY THE BLUES ABOUT DYING ?
WHAT ELSE GIVES YOU 22,280 CHANCES TO DO SOMETHING? IF YOU DIDN'T DO IT, HOW CAN YOU COMPLAIN? IF YOU DON'T GET MORE CHANCES, HOW CAN YOU COMPLAIN.?
I HAVE FRIENDS 30 YEARS OLDER THAN I AM, THAT IS AN EXTRA 10,000+ DAYS
I AM NEVER SURPRISED WHEN SOMEONE OVER 50 YEARS OLD DIES, HOW MANY DAYS CAN YOU EXPECT TO BE GIVEN ?
50 x 365 = 18,250 DAYS -- THAT IS A FAIR AMOUNT OF CHANCES, EVEN IF YOU WOULD APPRECIATE MORE AND MOST OF US WOULD APPRECIATE MORE.
I AM ALWAYS DISAPPOINTED AND DOWNHEARTED, WHEN A YOUNG PERSON DIES, I FEEL THEY WERE CHEATED OUT OF THEIR DAYS / CHANCES.
I WON'T BE ANGRY WITH GOD IF I ONLY GET ANOTHER 12,000 OR SO HEALTHY DAYS OF LIFE - NOW, I NEED TO HEAR FROM GOD ON HIS THINKING ABOUT THIS MATTER.
OUR WAKING UP TOMORROW IS HOW HE EXPRESSES HIS OPINION AND THAT IS THE ONLY OPINION THAT COUNTS - HE OWNS ALL THE DAYS, WE JUST BORROW THEM.
IF I DON'T GET TOMORROW, I WILL BE MORE THAN GRATEFUL FOR THE MANY DAYS I HAVE HAD, WHILE REGRETTING THE POOR USE I HAVE MADE OF THE VAST MAJORITYOF THOSE DAYS.