Wednesday, August 25, 2010

I May Be Old, But I'm Not Dead Yet


Dear Readers,

Several years ago I told my wife that I cannot wait until I reach retirement age in about ten years so that I can begin a regular routine of “having coffee with the boys”.

In the town of Ashland where I work the hangout place for retired men is the Hawkins grocery store bakery/coffee bar. In Hayesville they meet at the Olde 30 Restaurant. Close to my home the elder statesmen congregate at the local McDonalds.

In my busy work life I sometimes envy these gentlemen. They seem to have no deadlines or appointments to keep. They just gather to talk politics, the local economy with business successes and failures, stories of the past, and perhaps even tidbits of gossip.

In recent months I have been rethinking this position about the nature of my retirement activities. I still might want to have friends that I meet on a regular basis to share fellowship over a cup of coffee. But I want even these meetings to have some purpose.

Perhaps I can meet to inspire a colleague. Or mentor a young “up and comer”. Or comfort someone with the recent pain of losing a loved one.

I recently happened on a Bible passage in Psalm 92:12-15 that confirms my changed position:

12 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like cedar in Lebanon.
13 Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,
15 To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
(NKJV)


See you next time,
Arlen

1 comment:

Dee Yoder said...

When you retire, we'll have fun, but you might want to be "somewhere else" a few times a month. Hint hint.