A Few Minutes With the Mayor – November 2019

Growing old isn’t easy. There are no classes for it, and it’s not as if one has much choice. It just happens faster than we expect. We go along from day-to-day, then one morning a look in the mirror, and suddenly, it’s a different face staring back. From then on, it’s all downhill watching the wrinkles grow.

There are some who think wisdom comes with age. This is an old belief that goes back as far as the ancient Greeks who had gods for just about everything. In Greek mythology, “Geras” was the god of old age through whom a man acquired fame, excellence, or courage. He was depicted as a tiny, shriveled-up old man, a familiar condition we all achieve if we live long enough.

As for growing wiser while growing older… perhaps, but one’s aches and pains grow just as fast, if not faster. Older people don’t sit around talking about how wise they’ve become. No, they talk about their physical condition, their medical operations, and even the pills they swallow each day. It’s a condition that goes with aging… this impulse to share the state of one’s health with all who will listen.

Then there are expressions used to describe certain types of old people. No one ever says a grouchy teenager is “crotchety,” but the word is suitable for a grumpy old man. An older person is more apt to be called “eccentric,” whereas a younger person is “unconventional.” The word “doddering” is generally used to describe old people negatively whereas a younger person might simply be called “slow” or “slow-going.”

Even though Geras was a god, no one ever wants to look shriveled, so each new generation devotes considerable time and energy to avoid looking older. Healthier lifestyles, a myriad of cosmetics, including lifts and tucks, may slow down the process, but our Greek friend will find us eventually.

Personally, I find myself reminiscing a lot these days. That’s another thing older folks do, confronted with the present, they look at the past. The soon-to-be holidays, especially Thanksgiving, got me to thinking about another Thanksgiving… one in 1945. A day filled with hope, there was much for which to be thankful. It was a day that fell between the end of the worst war in human history and the soon-to-be post-war cauldron of hate epitomized by the McCarthy era. It was a day of genuine heart-felt thanks for victory over the Japanese imperial government and Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich. Mankind’s inhumanity to Man had ravaged the world for six years but was finally subdued. That may have been the best Thanksgiving of all for many Americans, a time of unity, good will, and common joy for the American people.

Today, we seem to be lacking unity, good will, and common joy, but if we will take the time to stop and count our blessings, we’ll find much for which to be thankful. We still live in the greatest nation on earth. Put it this way, more people want to come here than those who want to leave. We still live in a democracy. Political partisans may say otherwise, but they can say whatever they wish and still remain free. Just reflect on the fact that we are the only nation on earth whose citizens set apart a day each year to give thanks for all we have.

We who live in Jacksonville are especially blessed. Not only is this a beautiful city, it also stands out as a warm-hearted, friendly community. In our town, people still say hello on the street, drivers still stop to let the other fellow in, and neighbors still smile at one another. Personally, I’ve never met a crotchety soul in town.

Finally, this year look at your wife, husband, children, parents, friends, fellow workers and be thankful for them. Your world would be a lonely place without them. As President Kennedy once said, “We must find the time to stop and thank the people in our lives.” Giving thanks is the perfect addition to the Thanksgiving meal.

Happy Thanksgiving One and All!

Featured image: Mayor Paul Becker as a young man.