“It’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks,“ or so-claims an old saying. And then there’s its even-more fatalistic alternative, “You CAN’T teach an old dog new tricks.” I’ll bet there are other old dogs like me around who DO learn new tricks from time to time. Like the one I discovered last fall while hunkered down, doing my part to lessen the chance of catching Covid-19, or passing it on to others if I unknowingly carried it myself.
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Being “saved” is the foundation of being a Christian. Essentially, it involves honestly comparing one’s thoughts and behavior with God’s criteria for how we humans are supposed to live our lives, as described in the Bible. Most people who think of themselves as Christians will admit that they fall short, but then point to a time when they first started believing in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
To put it personally, I admit I don’t consistently do God’s perfect will in my life. Far from it. I then decide to be open to the possibility of needing to change my behavior in some way ( i.e., to repent) and ask for and accept God’s help in doing so. Meanwhile, in my journey through life, I accept God’s ongoing forgiveness for not measuring up perfectly as my life progresses.
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So here I sit, all hunkered down,
My brow all knit into a frown.
I spy the calendar upon my wall.
I blink out loud and nearly fall.
Good Lord, I think, how can it be?
September’s here, and we’re still not free?
As one who has sometimes been plagued with taking myself too seriously, I’ve discovered upon growing older that it helps to laugh at myself and my circumstances whenever possible. One of the things that we “seniors” have to deal with is that our bodies’ various functions start acting up. Things that we’ve taken for granted all of our lives and haven’t even had to give much thought to, now start demanding our frequent attention.
When I started “leaking” a few years ago, first my reaction was nearly always swearing and fretting. Then at some point, I realized things weren’t likely to improve and fretting was just souring my disposition. I began experimenting with words and phrases that tried to make light of the situation. These somehow eventually evolved into the “poem” below. When the occasion demands, I still quote these lines to myself (out loud!), and invariably, the cursing stops and the smiles start.
I’ll end this intro with a gentle warning that, if you are offended by mild bathroom humor, stop reading here.
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Geezerly Musings 