My daily life

Monday, February 27, 2006

八點需要學習的事。

今天要跟大家分享八點需要學習的事。
第一、「學習認錯」。人常常不肯認錯,凡事都說是別人的錯,認為自己才是對的,其實不認錯就是一個 錯。認錯的對象可以是父母、朋友、社會大眾、佛祖,甚至向兒女或是對我不好的人 認錯,自己不但不會少了什麼,反而顯得你有度量。學習認錯是美好的,是一個大修 行。
第二、「學習柔和」。牙齒是硬的,舌頭是軟的,到了人生的最後,牙齒都掉光了,舌頭卻不會掉, 所以要柔軟,人生才能長久,硬反而吃虧。心地柔軟了,是修行最大的進步。一般形 容執著的人說,你的心、你的性格很冷、很硬,像鋼鐵一樣。如果我們像禪門說的調息、調身、調心,慢慢調伏像野馬、像猴子的這顆心,令它柔軟,人生才能活得更快樂、更長久。
第三、「學習生忍」。世間就是忍一口氣,風平浪靜,退一步海闊天空;忍,萬事都能消除。忍就是會 處理、會化解,用智慧、能力讓大事化小、小事化無。各位要生活、要生存、要生命,有了忍,可以認清世間的好壞、善惡、是非,甚至接受它。
第四、「學習溝通」。乏溝通,就會產生是非、爭執與誤會。現在中國大陸、香港和台灣,兩岸三地最 重要的就是溝通,相互了解、相互體諒、相互幫助,大家都是龍兄虎弟,互相爭執、 不溝通怎麼能和平呢?
第五、「學習放下」。人生像一只皮箱,需要用的時候提起,不用的時就把它放下,應放下的時候,卻不 放下,就像拖著沉重的行李,無法自在。人生的歲月有限,認錯、尊重、包容才能讓 人接受,放下才自在啊!
第六、「學習感動」。我們看到人家得好處,要歡喜;看到好人好事,要能感動。感動是一個愛心、菩薩 心、菩提心,在我幾十年的歲月裡,有許多事情、語言感動了我,所以我也很努力的 想辦法讓別人感動。
第七、「學習生存」。為了生存,我要維護身體健康,身體健康不但對自己有利,也讓朋友、家人放心,所以也是孝親的行為。為了生存,要學習勤勞、積極、待人的禮貌,大家才能接受 我。金錢、愛情、生活的處理及做人處事都要有方法,所謂「不依規矩,不能成方 圓」;國家要達成「民心之所向」,才會安全。
第八、「學習靈巧」。靈巧就是懂得隨機應變,隨時調適自己來適應生活,不是要求別人要如何改變來配 合自己!其實給人方便就是給自己的未來方便,不要把所有的路都封閉起來,幸福其 實就在身邊。

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Max Ehrmann - Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrenderbe on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;and listen to others,even the dull and the ignorant;they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,they are vexations to the spirit.If you compare yourself with others,you may become vain and bitter;for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.Exercise caution in your business affairs;for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;many persons strive for high ideals;and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.Especially, do not feign affection.Neither be cynical about love;for in the face of all aridity and disenchantmentit is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,gracefully surrendering the things of youth.Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.Beyond a wholesome discipline,be gentle with yourself.You are a child of the universe,no less than the trees and the stars;you have a right to be here.And whether or not it is clear to you,no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,whatever you conceive Him to be,and whatever your labors and aspirations,in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.Strive to be happy.
Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

白天紐約黑夜巴黎

我在趕些什麼?我耗盡青春用盡全力,拚命追求身外之物,結果我真的比別人有錢、有名嗎?更重要的,我真的因此而快樂嗎?遠方有廣闊的地平線,為何我還在原地搖過時的呼拉圈?
紐約和巴黎,代表了我人生的兩個面向。紐約是白天,巴黎是黑夜。紐約是前半生,巴黎是下半場。
三十五歲之前,我認定紐約是世上最棒的城市。我在加州念研究所,畢業後迫不及待地去紐約工作。一做五年,快樂似神仙。我愛紐約的原因跟很多人一樣:她是二十世紀以來世界文化的中心。豐富、方便。靠著地鐵和計程車,你可以穿越時間,前後各跑數百年。人類最新和最舊、最好和最壞的東西,紐約都看得見。
所以在紐約時,我把握每分每秒去體會。白天,我在金融機構做事,一天十小時。晚上下了班,去NYU學電影,一坐四小時。在那二十多歲的年紀,忙碌是唯一有意義的生活方式。活著,就是要把自己榨乾,把自己居住的城市,內外翻轉過來。
這種想法並不是到紐約才有的。其實從小開始,台灣人就過著紐約生活。紐約生活,充滿新教徒的打拚精神和資本主義的求勝意志。相信人要藉著不斷努力,克服萬難、打敗競爭。活著的目的,是更大、更多、更富裕、更有名。權力與財富,是紐約人的兩個上帝。而能幫你走進天堂的鞋,就是事業、事業、事業。
在這種弱肉強食的生活方式,為了保持領先,每個人都在趕時間、搶資源。進了電梯,明明已經按了樓層的鈕,那燈也亮了,偏偏還要再按幾下,彷彿這樣就可以快一點。出了公司,明明已經下班了,卻還要不停講手機,搖控每一個環節。在紐約,為達目的,可以不擇手段,甚至趕盡殺絕。在紐約,沒有壞人,只有失敗者。
台灣,是不是也變成這樣?
每一件事,都變成工作。上班當然是工作,下班後的應酬也是工作。有人談戀愛是在工作,甚至到酒店喝酒、KTV狂歡,臉上都殺氣騰騰,準備拚個你死我活。
我曾熱烈擁抱這種生活,並著迷於這種因為燒烤成功而冒出的焦慮。這種焦慮讓我坐在椅子邊緣,以便迅速地跳起來閃躲明槍暗箭。這種警覺性讓我練就了酒量和膽量、抗壓性和厚臉皮。但也養成了偏執和倔強、優越感和勢利眼。在紐約時我深信:能在這裡活下來的,都是可敬的對手。黯然離開的,統統是輸家。人生任何事,絕對要堅持到底。半途而廢的,必定有隱疾。在這不睡的城市,每天我醒來,帶著人定勝天的活力,跟著法蘭克辛納屈唱〈紐約‧紐約〉:「如果你能在紐約成功,你可以在任何地方成功!」是的,在紐約,現代的羅馬競技場,我要和別人,以及自己…
菑v,比出高低。
這套想法,在我三十五歲以後,慢慢改變。
第一件動搖我想法的,是父親的過世。我父親一生奉公守法、與人為善。毫無不良嗜好,身體健康地像城堡。七十二歲時,他得了癌症、引發中風,經歷了所有的痛苦和羞辱。他一生辛勤工作、努力存錢、堅信現在的苦可以換得更好的明天。我們也相信一分耕耘、一分收穫,用在紐約拚事業的精神照顧他。但兩年的治療兵敗如山倒,最後他還是走了。父親逝世的那天,我的價值系統崩潰了。我一路走來引以為傲的「紐約精神」,沒想到這麼脆弱。
不止在病床,也在職場。當我在企業越爬越高,才發現「資本主義」在職場中也未必靈驗。上過班的都知道,很少公司真的是「開放市場」、「公平競爭」。大部分的同事都覺得你不是朋友、就是敵人。職場上偉大的,未必會成功。成功的,有時很渺小。很多人一輩子為公司鞠躬盡瘁,最後得到一支紀念筆。那些捲款潛逃的,反而變成傳奇。
慢慢的,我體會到:世上有一種比「善有善報、惡有惡報」更高、更複雜的公平。人生有另一種比「功成名就」更幽微、更持久的樂趣。那是衝衝衝的美式資本主義,所無法解釋的。
我能在哪裡找到那種公平和樂趣呢?我想過西藏、不丹、非洲、紐西蘭。然後,我注意到法國。
住紐約時,法國是嘲諷的對象。身為經濟、科技、和軍事強權的美國,談起法國總是忍不住調侃一番。法國是沒落的貴族,值得崇拜的人都已作古。法國人傲慢,高稅率讓每個人都很慵懶。動不動就罷工,連酒莊主人都要走上街頭。
搬回台灣後,普羅旺斯、托斯卡尼突然流行。我看了法蘭西斯‧梅思的《美麗的托斯卡尼》,其中一句話打動了我:「在加州,時間像呼拉圈。我扭個不停,卻停在原地。在托斯卡尼,我可以在地中海的陽光下,提著一籃李子,逍遙地走一整天。」
是啊!我在趕些什麼?我耗盡青春用盡全力,拚命追求身外之物,結果我真的比別人有錢、有名嗎?更重要的,我真的因此而快樂嗎?遠方有廣闊的地平線,為何我還在原地搖過時的呼拉圈?
當我重新學習法國,我發現法國和美國代表兩種截然不同的生活方式。美國人追求人定勝天,凡事要逆流而上。法國人講究和平共存,凡事順勢而為。紐約有很多一百層的摩天大樓,巴黎的房子都是三百年的古蹟。紐約不斷創新,巴黎永遠有懷舊的氣息。巴黎人在咖啡廳聊天,紐約人在咖啡廳用電腦。紐約有人潮,巴黎有味道。紐約有鈔票,巴黎有蛋糕。
不論是政府或個人,法國人都把精神投注在食、衣、住、行等「身內之物」。就讓美國去
磪h做老大哥吧。要征服太空、要打伊拉克、要調高利率、要發明新科技,都隨他去。法國人甘願偏安大西洋,抽菸、喝酒、看足球、搞時尚。當美國人忙出了胃潰瘍,法國人又吃了一罐鵝肝醬。
講到吃,法國有三百種起司、光是波爾多就有五十七個酒的產區。晚上六點朝咖啡廳門口一坐,一杯紅酒就可以聊三個小時。九點再去吃晚餐,一直吃到隔天凌晨。他們在吃上所花的時間,跟我們上班時數一樣。但諷刺的是:他們沒有「All You Can Eat」。
吃很重要,但也要會挑時間,朋友介紹我去試一家法國餐廳,提醒我他們禮拜二、四晚上休息。「為什麼?」我問。他說:「因為主廚要回家看足球。」
聰明的主廚懂法律。法國法律規定一周工作最多三十五小時,大部分的人一年有五周的假期。而美國人把加班當作自己有價值的表示,度假時還拿著手機回E-mail。法國人比美國人會玩。每年六月的巴黎音樂節,從午後到深夜,幾百場露天音樂會在各處同時舉行,人多到地鐵都暫停收費。每年十月的「白夜」,平日入夜就打烊的店面,徹夜營業到清晨七點。每年夏天,巴黎市政府在塞納河右岸布置了三段、總長一.八公里的人工海灘。細砂、吊床、躺椅、棕櫚樹,自然海灘有的景致這裡都有,讓沒有錢去海邊度假的民眾,也可以享受到海灘風光。
當然,法國這麼深厚的文化,不可能只從吃喝玩樂而來。美國人讀書,為了考證照。法國人讀書,為了搞情調。每年十月的讀書節,大城市的火車站內,民眾輪流上台朗誦詩句。書店營業到天明,整晚有現場演奏的樂曲。「美食書展」選在銅臭味最重的證券交易所舉辦。小鎮書展的書直接「長」在樹上,讀者必須爬到樹上,把書摘下來品嘗。
一直跟著美國走的台灣人,會心動嗎?
我心動了。十一月我到巴黎,一位法國朋友來接待我。臨走前我問他:「明天你要幹嘛?」
「我要去銀行。」
「然後呢?」我問。
「我不懂你的意思……」
對我來說,「去銀行」是吃完午飯後跑去辦的小事。對法國人來說,這是他一天全部的行程。法國人總是專心而緩慢的,每天把一件小事做好。
這樣的生活,對美國或台灣人來說,實在是太頹廢了。的確也是。法國失業率接近百分之十,高稅率讓雇主寧願打烊休息,免得幫員工繳稅。巴黎鬧區紙醉金迷,但郊區的少數民族卻沒有工作機會。這些都是黑暗面,但對於每日被強光烤焦的台灣人,陰暗也許提供了喘息空間。生命的終點都一樣,有錢人的喪禮只是比較多人上香。不斷的追趕只是提前衝向謝幕,為什麼不把時間花在慢慢為生命暖場?你不需要一輩子鞠躬盡瘁、死而後已。你可以偶爾伸伸懶腰、安步當車。
我從巴黎回來,台北並沒有改變。關了兩周的手機再度響起,一通電話找不到我的人會連續狂call十通。和朋友見面,他很關心地問我:「好了,你現在工作也辭了、歐洲也去了,接下來有什麼projects?」
「Projects」?多麼紐約的字眼。
我真想說:「好好生活,不就是人生最大的project?」但我知道在熙來攘往的台北街頭,在不到四十歲的年紀,這樣說太矯情了。況且,我今天之所以有錢有閒享受法式生活,不也正因為我曾在美式生活中得到很多利益?我仍熱愛工作、熱愛紐約,但已不用像二十歲時一樣亦步亦趨、寸步不離。
所以我說:「我還是會早起,白天努力寫作。但到了晚上,我想關掉手機。」
世界少了我,其實無所謂。但我少了我,還剩什麼?
他笑一笑:「你這是用紐約來過白天,用巴黎來過黑夜。」
唉,他講得真好!這應該是一個完美的妥協吧。也許有一天,我能創造自己的「白夜」,讓白天和黑夜融合在一起。但我還沒到那個境界。
「明天星期一,你要幹嘛?」他問。
「我要去銀行。」
「然後呢?」
我張大眼睛,停頓了一下。
「然後呢?」他追問。
「然後我會摩拳擦掌,認真地寫一篇文章。」(文.攝影/王文華)

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

麻將

名人 妙論話麻將
●麻將,亦稱麻雀,是中國民間風行的博戲之一。麻將之戲,中國古已有之,古稱馬吊,又稱葉子,最初是一種紙牌,後來逐漸演變為今日的麻將牌。
麻將被稱為中國的「國賭」,是因為它歷史悠久,據說在明代已經有了這種戲具。
明末大學士周延儒酷愛馬吊,《霜猿集》載:「壬午(公元一六四二年崇禎十五年),京師戒嚴,延儒奉命視師,上親餞之,賜上方劍旌旗,呼擁甚盛。既出都百里,旗牌持令箭飛馬回京。大司馬方退朝,遇之大駭,謂戎信孔迫也。都人驚疑相告,既而知為取紙牌諸弄具而已。」
時人有詩譏之曰:「令箭如飛驟六街,退朝司馬動憂懷;飛來頃刻原飛去,立限回京取紙牌。」
麻將是中國一種最普及的博弈娛樂活動,深受普羅大眾的喜愛,上至達官貴人,下至販夫走卒都樂此不疲。近代許多文化名人,不少都有此喜好,他們對搓麻將有不少奇談妙論。
梁啟超對麻將情有獨鍾,除了讀書以外,打麻將便是他最重要的事情了,他曾說過:「只有讀書可以忘記打牌,只有打牌可以忘記讀書。」
據說梁啟超在報館做事時,有許多社論、時評文章,都是他在麻將桌上口授而成的,一心能夠二用,打牌寫文章兩不誤,實在令人佩服。
梁實秋認為,有中國人的地方就有麻將,他還寫過一篇《談麻將》的文章。雖然如此,但他打牌的技術並不高明,儘管他的許多朋友都是此中高手。
有時被人硬拉上牌桌「湊腳」,玩一下就感到吃力,認為打牌不如看牌輕鬆有趣,所以他只願意作壁上觀。
他說:「我不打牌,並不妄以為自己志行高潔。我腦筋遲鈍,跟不上別人反應的速度,影響到麻將的節奏……打牌本是娛樂,結果往往自尋煩惱,又受氣,又受窘,所以乾脆只好看。」
詩人徐志摩對鴉片與麻將有一番妙論:「男女之間的情和愛是有區別的,丈夫絕不能干涉妻子交朋友,何況鴉片煙榻,看似接近,只能談情,不能做愛。所以男女之間,最規矩最清白的是煙榻,最曖昧最嘈雜的是打牌。」
傅斯年在《麻將哲學》一文中認為,為什麼麻將廣受歡迎,是一百三十六張麻將牌,包含了中國人的人生哲學。打麻將能贏,關鍵只要運氣好,手氣好。
他進一步分析:「我們中國人的生活也是這樣,只要運氣好,機會巧,一路順風,就可以由書記而主席,由馬弁而督辦。倘若獎券能夠中頭彩,那末不但名流聞人,可以唾手而得,並且要做什麼長或什麼主任之類,也大是易事。所以我們中國人最注意的是天命。」
胡適在《漫遊的感想》中專門寫了《麻將》一節,其中說:「英國的國戲是Cricket,美國的國戲是Baseball,日本的國戲是角抵,中國呢?中國的國戲是麻將。」
他還專門算了一筆賬,打麻將每四圈大約消耗時間兩個鐘頭,如果全中國有一百萬張麻將桌在開檯打牌,每桌打八圈,這就得費時四百萬個鐘點,損失了十六萬七千日的光陰。
他不無感慨地感嘆:「從前的革新家說中國有三害:鴉片、八股、小腳。鴉片雖然沒有禁絕,總算是犯法的了……八股的四書文章是過去的了,小腳差不多沒有了,只有這第四害,麻將,還是日興月盛,沒有一點衰歇的樣子,沒有可以說它是亡國的大害。」
胡適把麻將看作是亡國的大害,似乎過於嚴重,其實胡適是有過兩段時間沉迷於麻將的,一段是他在上海中國公學讀書的時候,另一段是他在北京大學任教授的時候。
前一段是借麻將以解憂消愁,後一段時間則是為了消閒,他在《藏暉室日記》中寫道:「連日百無聊賴,僅以打牌以自遣。」
著名作家柏楊對於沉迷於賭博的賭徒有極其精妙的描述,認為從朋友到牌友再到賭友是一種墮落。
他說:「再要好的生死之交,一旦在牌桌上坐下,就會現出原形。平常用錢不分彼此的,現在為了一塊錢都會面紅耳赤;平常推心置腹的,屆時便是欺之詐之,你投你的機,我騙你的牌;平常動則大筆款項往來,一賭起來,便是一個銅板都如臨大敵。如此這般,終有一天黯然無光。」
他還認為,每一個人的氣質和品德,在牌桌上都會徹底曝光,暴露無遺。
他說:「對一個人個性和品格的觀察,僅從表面上判斷,不容易得到結論,但若請他打個小牌,便很容易看得明明白白。有些人一夜不和牌都不動聲色,有些人兩圈不和牌,就像『光隆輪』一樣,渾身冒起煙來,爆炸一次又一次。」這真是觀察入微、真知灼見之談。
吳稚暉對打麻將則是深惡痛絕,他在日記中認為,打麻將比抽鴉片煙更為禍害。
他說:「我學不會的事很多,就是現在小孩子都會打的麻將,我竟不曾學得成。因為我未滿二十歲就覺得中國有兩件事將為大患。一是鴉片,壯丁變成了廢丁。一是麻將,有用的時間變了沒用。」
「麻將更毒於鴉片,鴉片是體面人遮遮掩掩的抽,麻將是大家公開的打,上等人以為雅事,又有東西洋人的讚賞。就拿賭博的本身來說,番攤、牌九、輪盤,都要叫警察老爺注意,體面人賭了也不算不名譽的。」
「惟有麻將──無貴無賤,無南無北,無男無女,無老無少,無窮無富,無中無外,一致的擁護它。我卻憤憤不平,以為如此猖獗,我無力打倒它,至少與它不合作。」(司徒崇)

Thursday, February 02, 2006

對聯

詩言志,對聯亦然。落魄文人往往以時運不濟,命運多舛唏噓了事。但此聯則不然,句中設想奇特,語出驚人,敢於向命運挑戰,藐視當前處境,是奮進的警語。

再窮無非討米;不死總要發財。(肖耀南 -民國初年曾任湖北督軍)
福無雙至今朝至;禍不單行昨夜行 (太史公)
租半間茅屋棲身,坐亦由我,臥亦由我; (晚清詩人歸莊)
買兩斤蘿蔔度歲,飯也是它,菜也是它。
何必我千秋不老;但求人百病莫生。(清代名醫范文甫)
人因愛富常離我;春不嫌貧又到家。(陳芳朝-清順治)
年難過,今年更難過,得過且過; (一窮小子)
債要還,是債都要還,有錢才還。
也有人對社會貧富不公,貼春聯作辛辣諷刺,聯曰: 富嫌千口少;貧恨一身多。

DD's article - Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was well known for his many inventions. He was a man of
high ideals and standards. His life included many aspects other than being a revolutionary. If he were to somehow come back a hundred years after his death and look
around and see his inventions in most homes he would have been proud. Some of his
main inventions were the lightening rod, the Franklin stove, the odometer, bifocals, and
the armonica. Many people offered him money for his inventions but he turned them
down. He did not want to make a profit; all he wanted was to make life easier for people.
Many people say that Benjamin Franklin was most famous for his works with
electricity. One of his most famous inventions was the lightening rod. In 1752 he
conducted a kite experiment in which he tied a key to a silk kite and proved that
lightening is a form of electricity.
To Benjamin the value of a life was quite high. He clearly looked to helping his society through his inventions. His knowledge of electricity led him to work on a major problem in his town. During the 1700’s lightening was a major cause of fires. Buildings caught on fire and kept on burning because the houses back then were made of wood. So Benjamin Franklin decided to attach a tall metal rod to the side of a house. One end of the rod pointed up into the sky, while the other end was connected to a cable, which stretched down into the ground. The rod attracted lightening and sent the electrical charges to the ground. After the lightening rod was invented, the amount of fires greatly decreased.
Another one of his inventions was the Franklin stove. Fireplaces were the main
source of heat in the 17th century, most of which were very inefficient. They produced a
lot of smoke and the heat generated through the fireplace mainly went right out the
chimney. Since the old stoves were mainly built of wood and iron, they burnt very easily. So, Franklin developed a new type of stove with a hood- like enclosure in the front and an air box in the back. The Franklin stove was much more efficient. It only used a quarter of the wood the old stoves used and it generated twice as much heat.
In 1737 Benjamin Franklin was assigned the job of postmaster general. He had to
figure out routes for delivering the mail, so he went out riding to measure the routes.
There were so many different measurements and Benjamin had a hard time keeping track
of the measures. That led him to inventing the simple odometer which he attached to his
carriage every time he delivered mail. By counting the rotations of the wheels, the
odometer calculated the distance the carriage traveled to each location. The odometer was
connected to a trigger bell which rang every twenty rods along the road.
Benjamin Franklin was getting old. He had a hard time seeing close up and at a
distance. It was very tiring to change from one pair of glasses to another, so he devised a
way to have both lenses fit in one frame, and so the bifocals were invented. The near-
sighted lenses were placed on the top and the far- sighted lenses on the bottom. Many
people benefited from the bifocals. Instead of switching glasses all the time all they had
to do was wear bifocals!
One day in 1761, Benjamin saw William Deleval playing what looked like water
filled wine glasses. Franklin worked with a London glassblower and rearranged the
position of the glass pieces. Finally the invention of the armonica came about. It was
named after the Italian word for harmony. In Franklin’s version of the armonica, the glass pieces were mounted on a horizontal spindle and the whole spindle was turned by a foot operated treadle. Sound was produced by rubbing the rims of the glass pieces with moistened fingers.
Benjamin Franklin was much more than a revolutionary. His simple yet useful
inventions and experiments made the world a better place to live. Benjamin Franklin once
said: "As we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others we should be glad of
an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours, and this we should do freely and
generously." And that is what he truly believed in. He did not invent all those items for money; he invented them so life would be easier for mankind.

AGING

George Carlin's Views on Aging
Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions. "How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key. You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead. "How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . . . you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . . YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!! But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling.. What's wrong? What's changed? You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone. But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would! So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60. You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday! You get into your 80s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; "I Was JUST 92." Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!" May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay "them "
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets,keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever.. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable,improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9 Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.
10.Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.