WHAT IS MAAS=GOG?
Simply Said: I'm not really sure I AM Growing Old Gracefully but God HAS to have a
great sense of humor or I would have been struck by lightening long ago. Being retired for 3 years
I finally have time to THINK & REFLECT on life...
MAAS=GOG. IT IS NOT A NEW TYPE OF "COMMON CORE" EQUATION! It is the "recipe formula"
I am using to find dignity in the "twilight" years! It goes like this:
MODERATION + ATTITUDE + ADAPTABILITY + "SELECTIVE DENIAL"= "GROWING OLD GRACEFULLY".
MODERATION:
"MODIFICATIONS TO MY '57 CHEVY"... 2011
(1) LOWER THE SPEED LIMIT
(2)NO FAST U-TURNS!
(3)KEEP "AIR" IN THE TIRES
(4)NOTHING "RICH" IN THE TANK
(5)WATCH THE "GAS"
(6)IF IT CREAKS...OIL IT.(OLAY IT)
(7)IF IT ROLLS OVER...DO IT SLOWLY.
(8)IF IT "SLIPS" HANDLE GENTLY UP-RIGHTING IT.
(9)IF MY "PAINT" FADES...GIVE ME A HUG!(Our Chevy was GREEN)
(10) THE ENGINE IS STRONG...THE BODY WEAK...GIVE ME
CREDIT FOR "KEEPING ON" KEEPING ON!
ATTITUDE
(1)Imperative to believe in SOMETHING other than yourself! Even
Atheism is a "belief", however lonely & sad...many choose Agnosticism;
big word for "not being sure"! (usually the people that have to "touch" or visually "see" to believe)Judeo-Christian belief? It is using FAITH that what you know to be true is true for you.FAITH is a belief in something you can't see or touch. You definitely can "feel" it, tho!
(2) I personally have never had a conflict between Science & Faith.
SCIENCE shows and explains to me how really powerful my FAITH is;
it comforts me to look up on a starry night sky and ponder infinity. My faith has always "allowed" me freedom of thought and encouraged me to question the very existence of the ONE I believe in.
(3) I want to be "Christ-Like". No, I didn't say I wanted to be righteously
superior to ANYONE else! I would like to be like my favorite "role-model".
It is SO clear how to do this...much simpler than we usually make it with OUR interpretations & Show. We have "cluttered" religion with all kinds of hypocrisy geared towards what WE WANT IT TO BE.
(4) If, like the Agnostic, you are not sure...don't be afraid of questioning
your thoughts, as if it were the final say or "blasphemy" if you do.
A faith that causes GUILT, DUTY, or FEAR is NOT LOVE. God gave us
the "gift" of a brain with free choice of thought. He will never FORCE us to love HIM. He will not SHAME us into loving Him...or even "bargain" with us to accept Him; He WILL "accept" our love when we are ready to "allow"
him into our hearts.
As far as the "hand guide" goes...it is an amazing read...clothes, hairstyles,cultural mores have changed over the last 2,000 years but
the ISSUES remain the same that humans have to cope with & solve.
The Old Testament(The Torah)is Judaic and later included "gentiles"
with some modifications. It contained 613 specific Laws to be followed.
The New Testament described the coming of Christ.(A divine "show & tell" the teacher in me would call it) showed us a simple & perfect example of God. In the short 33 years he clarified & sealed what the bond between us and God could be...The Ten Commandments, The "Sermon on the Mount"...The "Seven Deadly Sins" and the very best way...his personal EXAMPLE for us to emulate. None of these Commandments are impossible to do; in fact, if followed, you can have a much smoother "ride"
through this journey of ours. Christianity is NOT for sissies!
ADAPTABILITY
FIRST OF ALL...the "Gift" of Getting Old is just that!! It means you have
survived all of what life has thrown at you emotionally, mentally & Physically. You...up to now, have avoided or survived illnesses,accidents
& disease.
GOOD NEWS! Over just our life span the advancements & achievements
that we have that even our parents did not is mind-boggling. I could and probably will give you a list in a later post...
The modifications are above in my "Chevy" analogy...but there are many more that help.
(1) The equilibrium fluids for Balance decreases after age 40-50.
If you turn too quickly, get up too fast or ignore this fact, you may FALL
causing fractures, broken hips, etc. WHY?!
(2)BONE DENSITY decreases with age & loss of Calcium needs supplementing or Vitamin D if you get no sun!
(3) There are wonderful mobility tools ....USE THEM!
(4) Inside every old person is the young person they were.
(5) You do NOT lose intelligence with age unless you STOP using your Brain & let it rot.
(6)A Sense of Humor is absolutely vital.
(7)A Nasty old person was most likely a nasty YOUNG person...even worse.
(8) Become "Other-Centered"...they could be fighting much worse problems than you are and need YOU.
(9) A "Classic" Car needs body repair. If you need TEETH, more HAIR,
DO IT and be glad the products have improved so much.
(10) In the words of a favorite Pun of mine: "A soldier who survives mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran!"
"SELECTIVE DENIAL":
Now, we come to my favorite!
(1) Do not surround yourself with negative, TOXIC people! Even a relative can be avoided, if necessary for your mental health.
(2) YOU can be ANY AGE you feel! You cannot avoid getting older..
but you can do a lot about getting OLD! Do not lose the innocence and sense of awe that a child has.If you can look up at the night sky and just see it as a necessary "cover" for the Earth for you to breath then you are missing out on feeling "infinity" & the masterpiece of creation.
(3) I CHOOSE LOVE RATHER THAN HATE.
I CHOOSE LOOKING FOR THE BEAUTY IN SOMETHING...NOT ITS FLAWS..I CHOOSE BEING KIND...I CHOOSE COMPASSION.
Mrs. B.Birge
great sense of humor or I would have been struck by lightening long ago. Being retired for 3 years
I finally have time to THINK & REFLECT on life...
MAAS=GOG. IT IS NOT A NEW TYPE OF "COMMON CORE" EQUATION! It is the "recipe formula"
I am using to find dignity in the "twilight" years! It goes like this:
MODERATION + ATTITUDE + ADAPTABILITY + "SELECTIVE DENIAL"= "GROWING OLD GRACEFULLY".
MODERATION:
"MODIFICATIONS TO MY '57 CHEVY"... 2011
(1) LOWER THE SPEED LIMIT
(2)NO FAST U-TURNS!
(3)KEEP "AIR" IN THE TIRES
(4)NOTHING "RICH" IN THE TANK
(5)WATCH THE "GAS"
(6)IF IT CREAKS...OIL IT.(OLAY IT)
(7)IF IT ROLLS OVER...DO IT SLOWLY.
(8)IF IT "SLIPS" HANDLE GENTLY UP-RIGHTING IT.
(9)IF MY "PAINT" FADES...GIVE ME A HUG!(Our Chevy was GREEN)
(10) THE ENGINE IS STRONG...THE BODY WEAK...GIVE ME
CREDIT FOR "KEEPING ON" KEEPING ON!
ATTITUDE
(1)Imperative to believe in SOMETHING other than yourself! Even
Atheism is a "belief", however lonely & sad...many choose Agnosticism;
big word for "not being sure"! (usually the people that have to "touch" or visually "see" to believe)Judeo-Christian belief? It is using FAITH that what you know to be true is true for you.FAITH is a belief in something you can't see or touch. You definitely can "feel" it, tho!
(2) I personally have never had a conflict between Science & Faith.
SCIENCE shows and explains to me how really powerful my FAITH is;
it comforts me to look up on a starry night sky and ponder infinity. My faith has always "allowed" me freedom of thought and encouraged me to question the very existence of the ONE I believe in.
(3) I want to be "Christ-Like". No, I didn't say I wanted to be righteously
superior to ANYONE else! I would like to be like my favorite "role-model".
It is SO clear how to do this...much simpler than we usually make it with OUR interpretations & Show. We have "cluttered" religion with all kinds of hypocrisy geared towards what WE WANT IT TO BE.
(4) If, like the Agnostic, you are not sure...don't be afraid of questioning
your thoughts, as if it were the final say or "blasphemy" if you do.
A faith that causes GUILT, DUTY, or FEAR is NOT LOVE. God gave us
the "gift" of a brain with free choice of thought. He will never FORCE us to love HIM. He will not SHAME us into loving Him...or even "bargain" with us to accept Him; He WILL "accept" our love when we are ready to "allow"
him into our hearts.
As far as the "hand guide" goes...it is an amazing read...clothes, hairstyles,cultural mores have changed over the last 2,000 years but
the ISSUES remain the same that humans have to cope with & solve.
The Old Testament(The Torah)is Judaic and later included "gentiles"
with some modifications. It contained 613 specific Laws to be followed.
The New Testament described the coming of Christ.(A divine "show & tell" the teacher in me would call it) showed us a simple & perfect example of God. In the short 33 years he clarified & sealed what the bond between us and God could be...The Ten Commandments, The "Sermon on the Mount"...The "Seven Deadly Sins" and the very best way...his personal EXAMPLE for us to emulate. None of these Commandments are impossible to do; in fact, if followed, you can have a much smoother "ride"
through this journey of ours. Christianity is NOT for sissies!
ADAPTABILITY
FIRST OF ALL...the "Gift" of Getting Old is just that!! It means you have
survived all of what life has thrown at you emotionally, mentally & Physically. You...up to now, have avoided or survived illnesses,accidents
& disease.
GOOD NEWS! Over just our life span the advancements & achievements
that we have that even our parents did not is mind-boggling. I could and probably will give you a list in a later post...
The modifications are above in my "Chevy" analogy...but there are many more that help.
(1) The equilibrium fluids for Balance decreases after age 40-50.
If you turn too quickly, get up too fast or ignore this fact, you may FALL
causing fractures, broken hips, etc. WHY?!
(2)BONE DENSITY decreases with age & loss of Calcium needs supplementing or Vitamin D if you get no sun!
(3) There are wonderful mobility tools ....USE THEM!
(4) Inside every old person is the young person they were.
(5) You do NOT lose intelligence with age unless you STOP using your Brain & let it rot.
(6)A Sense of Humor is absolutely vital.
(7)A Nasty old person was most likely a nasty YOUNG person...even worse.
(8) Become "Other-Centered"...they could be fighting much worse problems than you are and need YOU.
(9) A "Classic" Car needs body repair. If you need TEETH, more HAIR,
DO IT and be glad the products have improved so much.
(10) In the words of a favorite Pun of mine: "A soldier who survives mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran!"
"SELECTIVE DENIAL":
Now, we come to my favorite!
(1) Do not surround yourself with negative, TOXIC people! Even a relative can be avoided, if necessary for your mental health.
(2) YOU can be ANY AGE you feel! You cannot avoid getting older..
but you can do a lot about getting OLD! Do not lose the innocence and sense of awe that a child has.If you can look up at the night sky and just see it as a necessary "cover" for the Earth for you to breath then you are missing out on feeling "infinity" & the masterpiece of creation.
(3) I CHOOSE LOVE RATHER THAN HATE.
I CHOOSE LOOKING FOR THE BEAUTY IN SOMETHING...NOT ITS FLAWS..I CHOOSE BEING KIND...I CHOOSE COMPASSION.
Mrs. B.Birge
