Beech Tree News Network

One day last week, I listened to an interview on NPR with writer John Leland.  He was discussing his latest book, HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE YOU MAKE: Lessons From A Year Among the Oldest Old.  Leland said one of the most important things he learned was how disenfranchised the elderly feel because of their disconnect with current technology.  He went on to say that years ago, older people were sought out for their knowledge about seasons and animal migrations and such things, but now if anyone wants that information, they just GOOGLE it.

                I admit, I am one of the first to GOOGLE something if I need information, but I also realize the internet can give me knowledge, but not the wisdom that comes from putting that knowledge into practice.  Wisdom comes as a result of day-in-day-out living, and that takes age. 

                One of the things I love most about my job is how it allows me to interact with people who have lived long enough to know useful things.  People who have wisdom tend to be generous souls, willing to help you avoid pitfalls they themselves have fallen into—as opposed to know-it-alls who tell you it happened to them, so it most assuredly is going to happen to you. 

                Just this year, I’ve learned how to grow tomatoes in bales of straw; where the best geodes can be found around which creek beds; how to marinate steaks in beer and Worcestershire Sauce; and the reason my fan won’t stop running on my heater is due to a defective limit switch.  Now, all of that information can be found on the internet, but there is a major difference in gleaning the information from a website versus gleaning the information from a person.  The website doesn’t know the little extras like: melt some butter and drizzle over the steaks after you take them from the marinade; and if you add a little lime to your straw bales, it will keep your tomatoes from getting blossom rot; or I’ll send you the name of the guy who fixed my heater switch.  Also, GOOGLE will not show up with a box-full of geodes after you mention that your granddaughter has never cracked one open, but keeps asking to do so.  One couple actually did that for me.

                Youth carries with it so much angst.  Age teaches you how to deal with what comes your way.  One of the things I find myself constantly saying to my granddaughter is, “Keep your head.”  Recently, I was talking to a guy who did just that.  It was during a cold snap, much like the one we had in early January.  This guy was working under the belly pan of a piece of heavy equipment.  He was lying on his back and had very little wiggle room.  After he finished the repair, and tried to move, he realized his clothes were frozen to the ground.  He yelled to one of the operators and told him to drive the piece of equipment over and away from him.  After the equipment was moved, he unzipped his coveralls and freed himself, leaving his clothes frozen to the ground.  That takes a presence of mind you don’t have when you’re young.

                Another thing that comes with age is a sense of humor.  Some of my favorite people who come into our business are the older gentlemen who have retired and spend much of their free time fishing.  Our business partner, Greg, knows every one of them and what they like to fish for.  Recently, one of the guys offered to take Greg fishing for catfish.

                “I’ve got a freezer full of catfish,” Greg said, “Can you take me Crappie fishing?”

                “Depends,” the old gentleman said.

                “On what?” Greg asked.

                “If you can fish with your eyes shut,” the man said, alluding to the desire to keep his best fishing hole a secret.

                I hope I always have the wisdom to seek out the wise, and I hope I’m always sensitive enough to make sure the older people around me feel relevant.  I’m quickly approaching the day when I will be the elderly person, and I would hate to feel like I didn’t matter anymore or I had nothing to contribute.  After all, when it’s all said and done, the only thing we’re taking with us is each other.