As my friends and former colleagues would know I served as an EAP Administrator in the Public Service for well over seventeen(17) years and as Addictions Counselor for thirty six(36) years and during that time my favourite slogan was "Your work is your signature, sign your name with excellence". This slogan was not mine but it was one that I saw in a garage many many years ago and which resonated with my principles of a fair day's pay for a fair day's work.
Now retired from active employment though still being called upon to assist wherever I can, it would appear that the belief I adopted in practising what I preach has stood me in good stead as so far I have not had one person no matter how close they are to me, guess my age correctly. This is not to say I am alone in this respect, for certainly there are thousands of persons out there who wear their age beautifully.
Why do I feel the need to speak on this now? It pains me that whenever I go to my home town I am unable to locate my friends and schoolmates of yesteryear as many of them have gone to the great beyond, and those that I do meet certainly do not look the sixty-five that I am even though they may be much younger than that. My investigations reveal that many on attaining the retirement age of sixty died shorty after, and many more did not even get there.
What then accounts for the vast amount of us who wear our age well as opposed to the many more who do not. Again, my investigations reveal that it all boils down to the " lifestyle" they chose to live. Usually I "live and let live" where others are concerned, but these days I find myself losing so many friends that I wonder if this is the right principle by which to operate, and I am forced to reluctantly admit that it is not.
What have I done that may be different from what those who have died did? Let's see. On mornings I pray, then head for the jogging track and gym at least five times a week, my wife ensures she juices lots of fruits and vegetables including celery, apples, cucumbers, beet, and anything else she determines is wholesome for consumption. We have almost totally given up on cane sugar for years, granulated or otherwise, soft drinks or sodas as they are also known is forbidden, and olive oil has long replaced other oils with high cholesterol. My biggest battle was giving up coffee and this I did because it caused my blood pressure to rise. We are not vegetarians but our forays into the meat shop ends with lots of fish, while our Saturday cow-heel soup is guaranteed as are our meals which contain ground provisions and green figs.
I am no alcohol drinker although I used to be, neither do I engage in the use of tobacco or other drugs, and the visits to my Doctor every six months are just to determine where I am on the health chart, which is usually exactly where I should be. My sugar levels are well within normal range and so far my doctor has not expressed any concerns.
Sure seems like practising what you preach works, doesn't it? But I've just scratched the surface, as wholesome living is much more that food or drink as we are not just physical beings. We need to understand and appreciate our spiritual and mental states as well. Perhaps I will look at that later on.
Those of my friends reading this blog please remember I'm getting tired of losing you one by one, as just now I'll have no friends my age. Have a blessed Sunday and successful week. Stay safe.
Eight days after I posted that I am now retired from active employment I was called back out to work on Contract in my former substantive post . Yesterday I went to renew my Driver's Permit and the Clerks could not get over the fact that I was of the age that required a medical to be granted a renewal. I was given a two year permit. The last time I looked at the instructions from the Licensing Authority I saw where at my age I should have been granted a one year extension.
ReplyDeleteSure seems that living what you preach makes good sense.