Old Age

Old age?
As the sun rises each day, seemingly ageless, casting light across the land, night shadows diminishing as daylight creeps into every nook and cranny- It would be great to not just think but to know that our earthly form would react in the same manner as the creatures of the land- As the warmth of the sun has the desired affect, they stir to a state of wakefulness and irrespective of their length of stay on this earth as they still maintain a level of activity that belies their age.

Us humans- supposedly the highest order of intellegent life form- as the years multiply we start to go into a state of physical collapse- muscles weaken- oxygen levels can drop to a danger level - digestive systems start to fail. Man with all his knowledge of the universe hasn't really got the ability to know how to look after his/her own body. We wait until things are in a state of chaos physically then we hit the panic button -- "my waist- I've gained 10 inches - how could this happen?" Hey, usually I'm 168lbs but now I'm 250lbs - what has happened?

Very few blame themselves for obesity- it's always the availability of fast food take aways etc, cake kitchens etc- never does anyone admit the truth - "It's my own fault" I couldn't be bothered to eat sensibly. If people cared more about their bodies, the fast food chain would either cease to grow or their menu's would change drasticly. Old age need not be the curse that it is - maintain a set level of physical activity daily and you would remain active and able for a hell of a long time.

My DAD could out run me when I was 12-- he was only 72 at the time. He'd be up at sunrise, split the wood for the day, feed over a thousand chooks, gather the eggs, clean the chook run, spend at least all morning in his vege garden, stop for lunch, smoke his pipe and read the paper, check any suspected breaks in the boundary fences, split some more wood for the coming morning, come in and have a pipe and possibly another rum, then clean up for the evening meal. As darkness settled in he'd make sure that all of us kids were tucked in for the night- with a playful dig in the ribs for each of us, he'd bid us good night then retire to his bed also- until sunrise, he'd sleep soundly- 4am he'd be up and moving around getting things ready for when mum and I had milked the cow, fed the calf and pig and brought the milk indoors. This daily routine found the whole family very fit and very healthy- no days off school, no days stuck in bed-except for when we got the usual kids diseases - measles, etc.

We had no electricity, no running town supply of water, no hot water on tap, nearest shop was 5 mile across country, nearest town was 30 mile, no car, we had a couple of saddle horses- and at the time there were 8 kids- we never knew hunger, drank fresh milk and ate fresh veges every day and walked 3 mile to school. When we sold the farm and moved into town, Dad was bored- nothing really needed doing- he was dead within 2 years- died of boredom more than anything else..

That is how I see old age and it's affect on us-- all self inflicted- therefore in truth we only have ourselves to blame- not society, fast food outlets, cigarette companies, or other types of enterprise-- We ourselves, created the need for them to exist..

cheers mate Arthur.

The Old Gas Station

The Old Gas Station

The service station trade was slow.
The owner sat around,
With sharpened knife and cedar stick.
Piled shavings on the ground.

No modern facilities had they,
The log across the rill
Led to a shack, marked His and Hers
That sat against the hill.

"Where is the ladies restroom, sir?"!
The owner leaning back,
Said not a word but whittled on
And nodded toward the shack.

With quickened step she entered there
But only stayed a minute,
Until she screamed, just like a snake
Or spider might be in it.

With startled look and beet red face
She bounded through the door,
And headed quickly for the car.
Just like the three gals before.

She tripped and fell -- got up,
and then in obvious disgust,
Ran to the car, stepped on the gas,
And faded in the dust.

Of course we all desired to know
What made the gals all do
The things they did, and then we found
The whittling owner knew.

A speaking system he'd devised
To make the thing complete,
He tied a speaker on the wall
Beneath the toilet seat.

He'd wait until the gals got set
And then the devilish guy,
Would stop his whittling long enough,
To speak into the mike.

And as she sat, a voice below
Struck terror, fright and fear.....
"Will you please use the other hole,
We're painting under here"!