By Neal Lemery
“Ask yourself how old would you be
If you didn’t know the day you were born?”
—Toby Keith, Don’t Let the Old Man In (2018)
When Toby Keith wrote this song, he was inspired by a conversation with Clint Eastwood, as they looked at aging, and what they were doing with their lives. After their talk, Clint Eastwood filmed a movie and Toby Keith wrote this song. Not bad work for two duffers getting together for a round of golf. They know the secret of life and of living well.
There’s a message in his music for all of us.
We’re all getting older. As each day goes by, even each minute, we have choices on how we live, what our attitude is, and, ultimately, what our intention is in this world.
Each day is a gift. We shouldn’t rely on someone else’s idea of how to measure who we are, what we have done, or how far we are along in the journey of life. Age can be a number, but I like to think of life as a state of mind. It’s not a square on a calendar, or a calculation based on what’s on your driver’s license.
The real question is not quantity, not a question of measurement and numbers, but rather, quality.
For today, and every day, I ask myself, how can I live life to its fullest? What conversation, what experience, will bring forth my own creativity, my own expression of the wonders of this day?
Neal Lemery – community volunteer, author and blogger neallemery.com
Books: Finding My Muse on Main Street, Homegrown Tomatoes, and Mentoring Boys to Men
