By June McCullough
There’s a lot to be said about aging. That’s
probably because we’ve lived long enough to have experiences worth talking
about. Also, at our age we’ve had a lot of time to think of something to say.
Of course, there are pros and cons to aging
– the joints that take a little longer to limber up in the morning, the slow
loss of memory, the...what was I saying? Oh yes, the pros and cons of aging. I
tend not to dwell on the negative and I’ve learned to appreciate the positives.
Over the years I’ve learned a lot. Let me
share, if you will, 20 advantages of aging that I have come to appreciate.
- I know my secrets are safe with my friends because by the time they get home they won’t remember what I said anyway.
- The only thing worth sweating about is exercise. All my worrying about tomorrow didn’t help. It only made me miss the pleasures of today.
- People assume I know what I’m talking about.
- A small bump in the road of life doesn’t mean the trip is over; it just means that I need to pay attention.
- I think I’ve finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up.
- A bad decision isn’t my last decision, so just deal with it and move on.
- I don’t care what people say about me. Give them a minute and they’ll have someone else to talk about.
- I spent as much quality time with my children as I could, but sometimes life got in the way of that. I had a job, the housework, the bills, the... Now when my grandchildren come over to visit, all we have is quality time.
- I’m calmer.
- I’ve learned to judge people by their actions, not by gossip.
- I’m more confident.
- When the grandchildren tell me something that happened in history, chances are I remember it happening.
- My stereo stand isn’t a piece of plywood on a couple blocks of cement.
- I know I have something to contribute.
- I’ve learned how to delegate. It took me a long time to realize that everything didn’t have to weigh on my shoulders.
- I have made mistakes along the way, but then who hasn’t?
- I did the best I could. That’s all you can ask of anyone.
- People don’t expect me to wear the latest in fashion.
- Nobody expects me to lift anything heavy anymore.
- People are living a lot longer than they were 100 years ago. So, really, I’m not old. I’m the new middle aged.
Here’s hoping I learn as much in the second
half of my life as I did in the first.
June McCullough is the published author
of two novels, On the Other Hand and Home to Stay. Although a fiction
novel, Nina, the main character in On the Other Hand, is a composite of
several people in June’s life. It is the inspirational story of a woman’s
journey after her husband dies suddenly from a stroke. It was a story that June
felt compelled to write.
After reading that stroke is the third
leading cause of death in the United States, and that someone in Canada dies
every 7 minutes from heart disease or stroke – and these numbers are only increasing
as the baby boomers age – June is donating 20% of her profits from On
the Other Hand book sales to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Whether
you are buying it for yourself or as a gift for someone else, what a great way
to help a wonderful organization at the same time!
Home to Stay, published in 2012, is a contemporary romance that was
actually written in the 70’s. With her first novel so well received she dusted
off an old manuscript to prepare for publication. Her advice? Do not try this!
She quickly realized how much technology had changed during that time, and how
differently she thought about life in the 35 years between writing the story
and publishing it. She was too far into the editing process to turn back, when it
became clear that it would have been easier to just rewrite it.
Still working 3 days a week outside the
home, she spends the rest of her days as a guest blogger, being interviewed,
and spending as much time as possible with her grandchildren. After 14 book
signings in 8 months, she wasn’t getting enough time to work on her third novel
and, for now, isn’t scheduling any more.
June always responds when a reader
contacts her. You can read more about June and contact her at:
To purchase one of her novels, visit:
5 comments:
Great post--and good things to know at any age!
When I turned 50, I stopped moving heavy objects. When someone turns to me to help, I tell them I'm over 50 and don't want to hurt my back. They are always very gracious about it!
I laughed at the stereo reference and said, "Oh, so true."
I can add, "A new-to-me car no longer includes rust with purchase."
GREAT list and a fun blog post. As a Baby Boomer, I can relate to every single item you mentioned.
Thank you everyone for all the wonderful comments. I'm so glad you enjoyed the post and I do hope you enjoy my books as much.
I need to clarify one thing. When I wrote this post the Heart and Stroke Foundation and I had a partnership. Although I still support the Heart and Stroke Foundation through volunteering and donations, I withdrew from our formal working relationship last week and I no longer dedicate 20% of the profits to them.
good job and so true. Love your books can't wait for the next one.
Judi S.
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