Odds And Ends

by Lois Jamieson

Ten Core Values I favor

Spirituality, Compassion, Integrity, Service, Making a difference, Growth, Love, Joy, Order, Beauty. What are yours?

I Will Never Be ‘Me” until I let you be “You.”

Some Wonderful Quotes About Growing Older….from Will Rogers

“Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.”

“The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.”

“When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth, think of Algebra.”

“One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it’s such a nice change from being young.”

And More

“You never know, perhaps the greatest challenges or opportunities in your life could still be ahead.” Quote from Studs Terkle

“How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you was.”  Quote from Satchel Paige

A Short Silly Poem I wrote

The Meaning of the Word Decadent

Decadent

Has always seemed

To me

To be

A word that says

Something or things

I shouldn’t do,

Or be,

Or

I will rue the day.

Webster Says,

It is a state

Of great decline

And

Worse than that

Will thwart my mind.

But as I

Look upon

This luscious sight

Of triple layer

Crème delight.

I maintain

It’s all a fake

It’s nothing more

Than

Chocolate cake!

Octogenarians Are Gamers

by Lois Jamieson

I love baseball. Last week I was watching my favorite team the Arizona Diamondbacks. They were playing the Chicago White Sox. During the game the White Sox pitcher was hit on the noggin by a batted ball. The pitcher fell down and then immediately got up laughing.The next day I read that the Diamondback’s manager called him a “Gamer.”

That got me thinking that we Octogenarians are all “Gamers.”

We have lived through the Great Depression. We have lived through four wars. We have lost parents, children, grandchildren and spouses. We have birthed babies. We have worked long hours, sometimes, for little pay. We have watched our fortunes grow and then dwindle to practically nothing.

We have been crippled from polio, and suffered through influenza epidemics. We have had teeth pulled without anesthetics. We rode,with our parents, in a model T Ford with no seat belts. We have bumped up and down in rumble seats. We had no air conditioning, kept our food in an ‘ice box’, and chased the ice truck down the road. We have ridden rickety old Ferris Wheels that were never inspected. We played kick-the-can in the street and lost fingers lighting firecrackers. And, yes, some of us got hit on the head by a baseball.

All this and more, and like the White Sox pitcher, we picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off, laughed and went on with life.

Indeed, Octogenarians are “Gamers.”

ISTOPOGA LAKE

By Lois Jamieson

I wrote this poem a number of years ago after a family visit at a cottage on Istopoga Lake in central Florida. I had the good fortune to experience all that I describe in the poem.

                                 The Lake Comes Alive

The lake comes alive

when White Egrets fly

and Ospry dive

seeking a fish.

And double Hibiscus

all pink, red and white,

peak out from

Fan Palms

to see a

tall Sandhill Crane

strut by on his

black stocking legs.

An aristocrat

out for a stroll.

Turkey Buzzards,

on perches above

gray-green

matted moss,

stonily stare

down below.

where an

armed Armadillo

burrows his nose

in the ground.

And there on the grass,

a stately Blue Heron,

raises his head to the sound

of a wild turkey bark.

And from over the lake

hears a dog

barking back.

The lake comes alive.

           

WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

by Phoebe R. Maurer

              We are all in this together -by ourselves- we share common thoughts and experiences. However, deep within us is a secret chamber with a window closed to the world.  A window has so many uses—it opens a home-or a room to views we never imagined.  The window can have blinds like the mind which sometimes wears blinders to obscure truths we should be able to see and perceive. When the window is clear it opens us to visions we wish we had been able to understand when life called for deeper understanding. The ocean leads us out to horizons that are mysterious in its infinity, sea meeting sky, fading blue into blue. The seas roll on and on rarely losing the momentum, carrying our visions back and forth, enlarging the meaning and depth of perception of who we are. 

The window into our soul is more revealing, and still, our souls appreciate humor as well as beauty.  So always, there is the separation between who we are and who  others perceive us to be. Someone different. For all our relationships are individualized according to the personality we are reacting to. We are  never the same nor are we one person-one personality-we expand and grow we regress. The depth of life is never even. There are trails that are obvious and sections that are obscure. Our visions can be blurred or crystalline clear. 

This is truly the common denominator the human race has.

Feelings-Vision-Windows to see through.

A REMARKABLE REWARD

By Lois Jamieson

When I first began volunteering at StarShine I worked as librarian and reader of books. Every week I read books to the Kindergarten through seventh grade classes. This was very rewarding because I got to know the children and it was great fun. I came to love these poor kids who live in an at-risk community. One day, I was asked  if I would add the high school classes to my schedule. I was a bit skeptical about the desire of those students to be read to. I was assured that they would love it. Up until this time I had only spent time with the older students when they came to the library to request a book. I’ll admit I was uncomfortable and a bit nervous reading to them. First of all, they were all bigger than I am and living a life I had no knowledge of. Most of them came from troubled homes or lived on the street..

The first thing was to find a book they might enjoy. I had just finished reading Randy Pausch’s “The Last Lecture” and thought it was such an inspirational book I decided to start with it. So, I gathered up my courage and walked into the high school class room, and immediately thought “what am I doing reading a book about a dying man to these kids?”.

After nervously clearing my throat several times, I began reading. To my amazement there was no fidgeting around, no talking, no falling asleep. They sat quietly at their desks looking right at me and just listened. I read for about thirty minutes and the big surprise came when I finished. They all stood up and applauded and said, “Thank you Mrs. Jamieson." From that first reading, I developed the same rewarding experience that I had with the younger children. I grew to love talking with them and getting to know some students very well. I’m not a teacher, never have been, so this experience gave me a certain confidence in the classroom I had not had.

The idea of starting an after school Fashion/Etiquette Club for the high school girls came out of the time I spent with the high school classes. Later I added a Manners Matter Club for the eight to twelve year old girls. I don’t read to any of the students now that I have two clubs and the library to care for. But I remember just what a wonderful growing experience it was for me.

God bless these kids without stuff!

For more Reflections on Kids Without Stuff, go to:  Get in the Boat