SIXTY PLUS AND NOT HOLDING (HOW MUCH BETTER IS WORSE?)

SIXTY PLUS AND NOT HOLDING

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 Several years ago, a man 75 years of age was killed in an accident.

 

His wife in her bereavement kept saying over and over again, "You know he was never sick a whole day in his life."

However, when they performed an autopsy, they found he had hardening of the arteries, cirrhosis of the liver, a tubercular lung and a chronic kidney condition; any of which was so bad they could have killed him at a moments notice.

It is that magic word attitude again.

It is the difference between the hypochondriac who feeds his fears while enjoying the meal and the person who says, "So, I'm a little sick...so I hurt a little...I'm walking aren't I?"

In 1915, Ty Cobb stole 96 bases. Seven years later, in 1922, Max Carey of the Pittsburg Pirates stole 51.

Was then Ty Cobb almost twice as good as Carey?  No, he was just willing to go for it more often.  Actually Max Carey's percentage of stolen bases was much higher.

However, Cobb had a go-for-it attitude while Carey had a play-it-safe attitude.

And the same was true of Babe Ruth.

He hit 851 home runs during his magnificent career and was known as the Home Run King, but he struck out 1330 times. But he didn't concentrate on his strike outs, only on his home runs.

And so did his fans.

These athletes tried to learn from their failures.

They did not back away from the challenges even if they offered more failures than successes. They lived with their eyes on the pluses rather than on the minuses.

Or, as Ben Franklin answered when asked why he came to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia when he could have stayed at home because of illness.  "If I stayed at home I would jjust be sick and tired, so I decided to be sick and tired in Independence Hall.

One day in his 80th year, John Quincy Adams while walking down the street chanced upon an old acquaintance. "Good morning," said his friend, "And how are you this morning?"

Our sixth President replied, "John Quincy Adams himself is quite well, thank you.  But the hosue in which he lives at present is becoming dilapidated.  It is tottering upon its foundation and the seasons have nearly destroyed it.

Its roof is pretty well worn out.  its walls are much shattered and it remebles with every wind.  The old tenement is becoming almost uninhabitable and I think John Quincy Adams will have to move out of it soon. 

But he, himself is quite well, quite well, indeed."

In the storehouse of your mind, in the secret chambers of your heart, keep your soul alive and well.

Be like the violinist who, when his string broke in the middle of a concert, transposed and kept on playing.

Be like James Whistler the famous painter who never meant to be a painter, but when he flunked out of West Point just switched gears.

Be like Sir Walter Raleigh the great novelist who admitted the brilliant poetry of Lord Byron was better and simply sought another goal.

Longfellow said it:

"Not in the clamor of the crowded street,

Not in the shouts and plaudits of the throng

But in ourselves are triumph and defeat."

There is an ancient Greek legend that speaks to life: All who died had to be ferried across the River Styx to the land of departed souls. One day a woman, about to cross the river is told by the ferryman Charon that it is her privilege, by custom, to drink of the waters of the river and forget everything that happened in the life before.

Pausing she questions, "If I drink of these waters, will I forget all my suffering?

"Yes," replied Charon," and you will forget all your joys.

"And if I drink will I forget all my failures,"

Again she hears the answer," Yes, and you will forget all your triumphs."

"And I will forget how much I have been hated,"

"Yes, and you will forget how much you have been loved."

"Then," she concludes with a voice firm and a mind made up, "I will not drink."  It is easy to claim your pains, frustrations, irritation and heartaches are worse than those of anyone else.

To find the worst and make it more so. To be a poor mathematician and never add up life's blessings. We've all done it.

In the 1950 Virginia Intercollegiate Track records they listed the first 50 track men. I was number 49.

I could have been obsessed by the 48 in front of me. Instead, I chose to concentrate on all of those after me. Life offers the opportunity to make the best of the worst or the worst of the best.

When Sir Henry Fawcett was a young man of 25, he was blinded in a terrible hunting accident.

He had just graduated from Cambridge University as one of its most brilliant students and the world seemed like an apple ripe for the picking. But before 20 seconds had passed he vowed, "Not even this will hinder me from achieving the life for which I was intended."

He went on to become Postmaster General of the whole of the Brisish Isles. Though he never read one single piece of mail he helped to speed along its way, he revolutionized the postal service by introducing such things as parcel post, postal savings and postal money orders.

We all have liabilities and some have more than  their share. Some cannot run for the sheer joy of it, they have no feet. But then, some take the crab apples of life and make jelly while others just get each day more crabby.

 Some mine silver from the clouds in their lives and therefore daily grow more rich. Some tarnish the silver with perpetual tears.

Better can be made worse. Worse can be made better. It is always up to us.

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To access his other book’s; BOUNDARIES UNLIMITED, RUST ON MY SOUL, POOR RICHARD’S ALMANAC, I AM SIXTY PLUS AND NOT HOLDING, THE ABC’S OF PARENTING AND GRANDPARENTING, LETTERS TO AMERICA…go to Amazon.com (books) and type in Neil Wyrick.

 

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A HEAVENLY CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM(1st in series) (on this Wyrick’s Writing blog)

 “I have always been intrigued by a question God put to Adam, “Where are you?” Why did He ask that? What is the meaning behind this? It wasn’t a geographical question, for certainly God knew the answer to that one.

VISIT NEXT TUESDAY FOR A NEW ADDITION TO THE  “Rust on My Soul” SERIES (The Internationally distributed novel)

 

To view an abundance of unusual stories and comments by Neil Wyrick go to Neil’s other blog ONE A DAY, YOUR SPIRITUAL VITAMINS

Click on the following URL

http://oneadayyourspiritualvitamins.blogspot.com/

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BELOW IS A QUOTE FROM the SERIES on this Wyrick’s Writings site entitled ANGER IS A KILLER. 

“Do you enjoy visiting friends? More than likely you’re thinking, Preacher, of course, I do.
Now let me ask the other side of the coin - Do you enjoy visiting enemies? No?

Well, I know you must enjoy visiting at least one enemy because, like myself, you probably visit this one quite often. Unfortunately, we all …visit this enemy…whose name is anger.
Some visit anger seldom . Some on a regular basis. And during those visits, some spew and others stew.”

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TO WATCH NEIL WYRICK IN HIS ONE MAN DRAMAS (Presented to millions all around the world) (Ben Franklin, Martin Luther, Charles Wesley and Abraham Lincoln (this Lincoln film takes 11 seconds to download but is worth the wait)

CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING

 

http://www.speakerneil.com/

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