Author: dickking44

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AGING
By: Richard L. King

 It is the common belief that wine improves with aging. Tis so with life, as it is with wine, is it not? Might this not also be true of other things as well?

Kentucky Bourbon is at its best, only after the proper aging has occurred. Jack Daniels, Knob Creek, Makers Mark, Jim Beam, they all enjoy reputations as fine Kentucky Bourbons and I’m led to believe that they all go through an aging process. As I am not an expert in this area, I’ll not testify, but I have been told aging makes the difference.

Music? Can it be classic if it hasn’t been around for a while? Me thinks not. Segar, Springsteen, Billy Joel, Elton John, to name just a very few who have become better with age. Not to say that they weren’t great from the beginning, but they are now CLASSIC. And, to a lesser degree, on the female side we might add Gloria Estefan and several others. They have all stood the test of time and, in retrospect, have become better.

Movies? Gone With the Wind, Casablanca, The African Queen, Citizen Kane, The Godfather, The Graduate and of course The Wizard of Oz have all stood that test of time. We can’t say that they have gotten better because they haven’t changed and technology has. But the story hasn’t changed. The way the story is told and displayed has changed, but in the grand scheme of things these movies are still holding their own.

Cheese? I’m told that the best cheese has been aged, but don’t quote me on that. I’m not much of a cheese connoisseur. I like a good strong cheese on my cheeseburger, but that’s about the extent of my expertise. I’ve come to understand that some cheeses are best consumed young, but there are many more that benefit from aging. Suffice it to say that different cheeses require different treatments.

Aging? And now for the meat behind all this: It is said that 50 is the new 40. Don’t you believe it, 60 is the new 40. The miracles of modern medicine have made it so. Pacemakers, stints, transplants, replacement joints, the list goes on and on. What is common place today was unheard of in my grandfather’s time. On top of that, new technology allows doctors to perform these miracles in a fraction of the time, through ever smaller incisions, making the recovery time miniscule as compared to earlier days.

I’m 74, my oldest brother is 84 and we’re both still going strong. Although we’ve lost a sister and a brother to heart problems, we have another brother who is 77 and a sister who is 72. The two who have passed both made it into their 80’s whereas both of our parents died at age 64. Obviously, the medicines of my parent’s day wouldn’t compare to those of today, but perhaps that is not the true secret to our longevity. Today’s senior, as a general rule, eats healthier and doctors more frequently. Likely those are key factors, but that only partially accounts for todays added longevity. Both of my parents smoked right up until the day they died. My brothers, my sister and I have all been reformed smokers for years now. Trust me; it makes a big difference not only in the way you feel, but from a longevity standpoint as well.

Although I won’t be running any marathons anytime soon, I have aged well and I am truly a happy camper.

…and I repeat, as it is with wine, so too it is with life, aging often adds to the luster, to the intrigue, to the joy.

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Gramps use’ta say
©R.L.King2012 #410

About: Hard Times

There’s a difference between
‘Rock Bottom’ & ‘on the rocks,’
but often it’s hard to distinguish.

 

MYSTIFICATION

© By: Richard L. King
From my book Memories & Time

Night time merges with morning,
or perhaps, the great beyond.
It’s midnight at the ball…

You’re at the crossroads,
betwixt the between.

…in that netherworld
where what is and what isn’t
seem to challenge what was,

…or even worse, what might have been.

Success is fleeting       … reality fades.
Time stands still   …and yet, somehow tomorrow is now yesterday.

Memories encompass you as common sense evades you
and recognition escapes,
yet,,,, realization is judicious.

Lessons and memories, things left unsaid,
…taunt you and haunt you, as they pass through your head.

Mystification prevails.

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Gramps use’ta say
©R.L.King2012 #409

About: Stupid Comments

 “Sometimes his mouth starts
before his brain does.”

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By: Richard L. King

Never in my wildest dreams would I have believed that I’d ever try a dating service, but I stumbled on a site and decided to try it. I’m ever so thankful that I did

The year was 2008; I was 64 and still had most of my hair and nearly all of my teeth. My wife had died in 86 and I had lived in South Florida since 92. I was still alone because I wasn’t really comfortable approaching a lady and not many had ever approached me.

I don’t own a good pickup line and I’m not blessed with a gift for gab. I’m not really shy, but I’m not very outgoing either. All of which made it difficult to meet that special someone, especially when you’re not really sure if you’re even looking. (or if she is.)   I know that’s confusing, but I’d been on my own for so long that I wasn’t real certain just how “involved” I wanted to be. I was pretty set in my ways and I wasn’t certain that I’d want to adjust to anything new in my routine.

With all that said, one day this “pop up” showed on my screen. Out of the clear blue this web-site was telling me that there were… “lots of ladies right there in your neighborhood looking for someone just like you.” It must have been divine intervention, don’t you think? Well, it went on to say that I could check it out for free. I’m no dummy, it doesn’t get much cheaper than free and so I decided to check it out.

Sure enough there were lots of photos of ladies, each with a little resume of a sort attached to it. Color me intrigued.   I wanted to know more. Unfortunately, to correspond with them I would be required to complete a resume of my own.   It took me several days,,, (you have to get it just right) but I posted my resume and then sat back waiting to be swamped by all those beautiful ladies wanting to date me.

Now you may think that I was being naïve, but I swear to you I did get a good number of winks as they were called, wherein some of those ladies actually did want to meet me. I selected the three that seemed to be the most promising and winked back at them.

Suffice it to say that a photo doesn’t always do justice. Upon face to face meetings, some of those ladies seemed to have aged some since their photo had been taken. Maybe I am just a little bit naïve after all.

However, I was most intrigued by one who was out of state for her daughter’s wedding for a month. We began corresponding via email and found that we had many things in common. Convinced that we wanted to take the next step when she got back, we decided to meet for ice cream at the local Baskin Robbins. (Later she explained that she had selected that location primarily for self-defense… if it turned out that I was a dog, I wouldn’t know where she lived and because it doesn’t take long to eat a scoop of ice cream before she could be on her way.)

That was a little over ten years ago and we have now lived together for over 8 years. When the subject of computer dating comes up, we are both strong advocates. Of course, you’ll likely have to sort through a dog or two, but at least for us, the payoff was well worth it.

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Gramps use’ta say
©R.L.King2012 #314

About: Attitude

“Smiles breed joy,
frowns breed sadness.
…live accordingly.”

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I WATCHED
© By: Richard L. King
From my book Memories & Time

I was there when you were conceived
and as you took your very first breath
I watched.

When you started to crawl,
I was watching.

I watched your first steps
and when you spoke your first words,
I was listening.

As you discarded the training wheels
from your first bike,
I watched

As you boarded your first school bus,
picked out your first baseball glove,
learned to catch,,, and throw
and when you played your first peewee game.
I watched.

Your first football practice,
first game,  last game
and all the games in between,
I watched.

When you crossed the stage
to receive your diploma,
with great pride,
I watched.

When you married,
became a military man
and had children,
though I was in the wings,
still I watched.

I watched as we buried your mom,
….then your brother.

Never,,, have I been more proud of being your father.

But recently, as your daughters
performed together, publicly,
for the very first time,,,
and we all watched,,,,,

as tears of pride filled your eyes,
….I smiled,,,,

and once again,
with great pride of my own,

…I watched.

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Gramps use’ta say
©R.L.King2012 #206

About: Attitude

  “A great attitude
makes big problems much smaller
…and small blessings much bigger.”

 

MELANCHOLY MOON
© By Richard L. King
From my book: Nice & Naughty

Sitting on the balcony, enjoying the suns last rays,
fending off the melancholy revealed in recent days.

The evening settles in over a glass of favored brew,
love songs on the stereo bring a romantic thought or two.

The sun has lost its glory, yet the sky is still ablaze,
peering out across the water, through the purple haze.

Waves gently crashing, the moon begins to rise,
Mother Nature’s beauty unfolds before his eyes.

The waves are iridescent as darkness now prevails
and a sailor in the bay at long last drops his sails.

Mesmerizing beauty, music created by sea and sand,
lonely thoughts triumph, not precisely as he planned.

Florescence catches the eye as waves gently roll ashore,
time is not their enemy they’ll continue evermore.

Much like any campfire draws attention to the flame,
these psychedelic waves act pretty much the same.

The moon, in all its glory, now lights up the cloudless sky,
she’s not here with him and still he questions, why?

Alone on this balcony, long after the suns last rays,
a melancholy moon experienced so often in recent days.

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Gramps use’ta say
©R.L.King2012 #411

About: Common Sense

 “Unfortunately, common sense
jist ain’t all that common anymore.”

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