A perspective as we go through Life

[Johnsfolly]

I just received this from an old friend (one whom I have not told that we are leaving Missouri - so bad on me). I have seen this before, but reading it again made me want to share it with my fellow OAFers. It also changed some of my own perceptions as I go through the issues surrounding our departure from Missouri and relocation to Maryland. Because I am not at the age where I don't have to watch my diet and my health, I will still have to make choices about what I eat so that I can live a full life with my friends and family. Hopefully you will read this and maybe take a kid fishing or try a new lake or stream just for the experience!

"One day I had lunch with some old friends. Tom, a short, balding golfer type, about 85-years old, came along with them; all in all, it was a pleasant bunch

 When the menus were presented, my friends and I ordered salads, sandwiches, and soups, except for Tom who said, "A large piece of home-made apple pie, heated please.I wasn't sure my ears heard him right, and the others were aghast, when Tom continued, completely unabashed...."along with two large scoops of vanilla ice cream."

 We tried to act quite nonchalant, as if people did this all the time, but when our orders were brought out, I didn't enjoy eating mine.  I couldn't take my eyes off of Tom as I watched him savoring each bite of his pie a-la-mode.  The other guys just grinned in disbelief as they silently ate their lunches.

 The next time I went out to eat, I called Tom and invited him to join me.  I lunched on a white meat tuna sandwich, while he ordered a chocolate parfait.  Since I was chuckling, he wanted to know if he amused me. I answered,  "Yes, you certainly do, but you also confuse me.  How come you always order such rich desserts, while I feel like I must be sensible in my food choices?"

 Tom laughed and said "I'm tasting all that is possible for me to taste.  I try to eat the food I need and do the things I should in order to stay healthy, but life's too short, my friend.  I hate missing out on something good.  This year I realized how old I was.  He grinned I've never been this old before, so, while I'm still here, I've decided it's time to try all those things that, for years, I've been ignoring." He continued, "I haven't smelled all the flowers yet. There are too many trout streams I haven't fished.  There's more fudge sundaes to wolf down and kites to be flown overhead.  There are too many golf courses I haven't played.  I've not laughed at all the jokes.  I've missed a lot of sporting events and potato chips and cokes.”

 "I want to wade again in water and feel ocean spray on my face.  I want to sit in a country church once more and thank God for His grace.  I want peanut butter every day spread on my morning toast.  I want un-timed long distance calls to the one I love the most.

 "I haven't cried at all the movies yet, or walked in the morning rain.  I need to feel wind on my face.  So, if I choose to have dessert, instead of having dinner, then should I die before night fall, I'd say I died a winner, because I missed out on nothing.  I filled my heart's desire.  I had that final piece of pie before my life expired."

 With that, I called the waitress over.  "I've changed my mind, " I said. "I want what he's having, only add some more whipped cream!"

[Quillback]

That guy should show up for the Jigfest food.  

[BilletHead]

   Good story John,

        If I make it to 85 I will also eat what I want. In the mean time I tend to be careful what I shove into my pie hole. The nut doesn't fall far from the tree and my mom is 88 and suffers from dementia. Forgets to eat and cannot remember what she has eaten of if she even ate. A lot of the time her evening meal is ice cream and cookies. When my sisters and I voice our concern to her doctor the response was at least she is eating something and at her age she should be able to eat anything .  I had a foreman that I worked for. Even at a young age at company picnics and dinners he always picked out dessert and ate it before his meal. I asked him once about it. He cocked his head and said I eat that first because I may get full and not be able to.  We were required to carry our lunch and he put potato chips on every sandwich no matter what it was and put  down a whole tube of ritz crackers every day.  A few months ago he passed and I think of him often. Rest in peace "Crazy Bob" . His ashes were placed in a plastic tub he had bought himself at Wal Mart and he wanted to be buried in it . 

   BilletHead

[jdmidwest]

Life is too short, most of us go sailing thru like we are bulletproof.  Then you get grazed by a stray shot and you start looking at things really hard.  What could I have done to prevent it from happening.  Reality is, outside of obviously dangerous life choices, there are lots of things that can kill us without much warning.  You can't go living life cautiously.  Live it, enjoy it, cherish it, and pass knowledge along to life you create.

I watched a young man skirt death today in a car accident, in my rear view mirror, on the way to the farm to work bees.  Ran off the road in a curve that has caused many wrecks in my lifetime and took a few lives.  I went back and took him up to cell phone range to make calls.  He knew he was drousy and fell asleep for a second, lost control of his company car, took out a sign, went up a steep bank, dodged another sign, then come to rest on the side of the road.  Side curtain airbags deployed, the car knew it was about to flip.  First thing he saw was a little cross from a person that died there last fall.  But all he was worried about was his job.  I spent an hour with him in the truck until the Highway Patrol showed up to work the accident scene and let me go.  We drove back down and looked at the site.  Had he drove another 8" North, the car would have dropped off a concrete culvert and probably flipped.  He was a very lucky man today.

 

[Al Agnew]

I knew a guy who stopped smoking at about age 55 after being a heavy smoker since he was a teen.  He said that if he lived to 80, he planned to start smoking again because he had really enjoyed it.

There's a fine line between being obsessively "healthy" in your habits, and being prudent but enjoying life more.  Most of us have others that depend upon us, so it would be pretty selfish to just do what you want and eat what you want no matter what the consequences.  But take it from somebody who is on the downhill side...life gets shorter every day and the days go quicker with every year.  My fly fishing buddy and I have begun saying things like, "Well, we better do this while we still can."  And there are things that we wish we would have done when we COULD still do them.

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

I will turn 40 three months from today. I want to enjoy my time while I can, but I also would like to enjoy my time in later years.   We all do.  Every action has a reaction.  Try to keep the balance.     

[BilletHead]

5 minutes ago, Daryk Campbell Sr said:

I will turn 40 three months from today. I want to enjoy my time while I can, but I also would like to enjoy my time in later years.   We all do.  Every action has a reaction.  The to keep the balance.     

        More fishing, more getting that good hook set, more reeling in fish!  Do it while you can Daryk. Mom constantly says to me wish dad and I would of and to do it while you can. I tell this to BilletHead Jr. Now I am telling you ,

  BilletHead

[Johnsfolly]

I was mentioning to another friend that there is nothing as good as getting a solid strike or to see the fish take and then setting the hook and fighting that fish. To me it is addictive. As you all know if don't care if it is big or small. I enjoy every fish. What's even better is sharing that experience with my family and friends.

[Mitch f]

Sorry to see you go John! You’re one of the good ones!!

[Johnsfolly]

5 minutes ago, Mitch f said:

Sorry to see you go John! You’re one of the good ones!!

Thanks Mitch. I really appreciate it! Wish that we could have fished together. Maybe when I am travelling back to MO.