Senior citizens are constantly being criticized for every conceivable deficiency of the modern world, real or imaginary. We take responsibility for all we have done and do not blame others.
BUT, upon reflection, we would like to point out that
it was NOT the senior citizens who took:
The melody out of music,
The pride out of appearance,
The romance out of love,
The commitment out of marriage,
The responsibility out of parenthood,
The togetherness out of the family,
The learning out of education,
The service out of patriotism,
The religion out of school,
The Golden Rule from rulers,
The nativity scene out of cities,
The civility out of behavior,
The refinement out of language,
The dedication out of employment,
The prudence out of spending, or
The ambition out of achievement,
And we certainly are NOT the ones who eliminated patience and tolerance from personal relationships and interactions with others!!
Does anyone under the age of 50 know the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner? Just look at the Seniors with tears in their eyes and pride in their hearts as they stand at attention with their hand over their hearts!
Remember.......Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what the heck happened!
YES, I'M A SENIOR CITIZEN!
the life of the party...even if it only lasts until 8 p.m. I'm very good at opening childproof caps with a hammer. I'm usually interested in going home before I get to where I am going. I'm awake many hours before my body allows me to get up. I'm smiling all the time because I can't hear a thing you're saying. I'm very good at telling stories; over and over and over and over... I'm aware that other people's grandchildren are not as cute as mine. I'm so cared for -- long term care, eye care, private care, dental care. not grouchy, I just don't like traffic, waiting,crowds, lawyers, loud music, unruly kids, Toyota commercials, Tom Brokaw, Dan Rather, barking dogs, politicians and a few other things I can't remember.
I'm sure everything I can't find is in a secure place. I'm wrinkled, saggy, lumpy, and that's just my left leg.I'm having trouble remembering simple words like.......
I'm realizing that aging is not for wimps. I'm sure they are making adults much younger these days, and when did they let kids become policemen? I'm wondering, if you're only as old as you feel, howcould I be alive at 150? I'm a walking storeroom of facts.....I've just lost the key to the storeroom door.
Yes, I'm a SENIOR CITIZEN and I think I am having the
time of my life!
Author Unknown
SENIORS MUST LEARN TO SACRIFICE!
All citizens of the USA should remember this!!!!!
I was embarrassed to read that President Clinton and his advisors have said,"The older generation must learn to sacrifice as other generations have done" That's my generation. I knew eventually someone would ferret out the dirty secret: we've lived the"lifestyle of the rich and famous" all our lives. Now, I know I must bare the truth about my generation and let the country condemn us for our selfishness. We certainly don't deserve any of that Social Security money that we've put away for 45 or 50 years! We sure don't need help with our medical bills...no, we've surely got Enough put away for a $250,000 open heart surgery bill.
We've had so much fun in our lives, why just read the following:
During the Depression we had a hilarious time dancing
to the tune of "Brother Can You Spare A Dime?" We could choose to dine at any of the country's fabulous soup kitchens, often joined by our parents and siblings...those were the heady days of carefree self-indulgence.
Then, with World War II, the cup filled to overflowing. We had the chance to bask on the exotic beaches of Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and Okinawa; to see the capitols of Europe and travel to such scenic spots as Bastogne, Malmedy and Monte Cassino. Of course, one of the most exhilarating adventures was the stroll from Bataan to the local Japanese hotels, laughingly known as death camps.
But the good times really rolled for those lucky enough to be on the beaches of Normandy for the swimming and boating that pleasant June day in '44. Unforgettable.
Even luckier were those that drew the prized holiday
tickets for cruises on sleek, gray ships to fun filled spots like Midway, The Solomons and Murmansk. Instead of asking, "what can we do for our country," an indulgent government let us fritter away our youth wandering idly through the lush and lovely jungles of Burma and New Guinea.
Yes, it's all true: we were pampered, we were spoiled rotten, we never did realize what sacrifice meant. We envy you, Mr. Clinton, the harsh lessons you learned in London, Moscow, Little Rock, and the secluded cubby's of the Oval office with a young intern. My generation is old, Mr. President...and guilty; but we are repentant. Punish us for our failings, sir, that we may learn the true meaning of Duty, Honor, and Country. Give that money that we've been putting in to Social Security and Medicare to those more deserving...like yourself?
Robert J. Grady, Lt. Col., USAF (Ret),
Colorado Springs
For all of us who still remember, let those who don't, understand!
"Geezers" are easy to spot; this is slang for an old man. But, at sporting events, during the playing of the National Anthem, they hold their caps over their hearts and sing without embarrassment. They know the words and believe in them. They remember the Depression, World War II, Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, Normandy and Hitler. They remember the Atomic Age, the Korean War, The Cold War, the Jet Age and the Moon Landing, not to mention Vietnam.
If you bump into a "Geezer" on the sidewalk, he'll apologize, pass a Geezer on the street, he'll nod, or tip his cap to a lady. "Geezers" trust strangers and are courtly to women. They hold the door for the next person and always when walking, make sure the lady is on the inside for protection. "Geezers" get embarrassed if someone curses in front of women and children and they don't like violence and filth on TV and in movies. Geezers have moral courage. Geezers seldom brag unless it's about the grandchildren in Little League or music recitals.
This country needs "Geezers" with their decent values and common sense. We need them now more than ever. It's the "Geezers" who know our great country is protected, not by politicians or police, but by the young men and women in the military serving their country in foreign lands, just as they did, without a thought except to do a good job, the best you can and to get home to loved ones.
Thank God for *** "GEEZERS."
Author Unknown
Although his hair was graying and his legs weren't strong, His heart was powerfully full of Patriotic song. He had pride for his Country, the same one for which he'd fought, Laying down his life, so Freedom could be sought. When others began to stare, it changed his mind none, For he had earned the right; he had carried the soldier's gun. With his shaky right hand, he applied it to his chest, Stood as straight as he was able, his pride for Nation was above the rest. He had crawled through the mud, on his belly so cold, To protect Old Glory, while she flew so bold. Each star and each stripe, waved forever in his mind, And his wheelchair carried the results, of a long ago land mine. But he mustered the strength, from a place the others would never understand, For he still traveled with the nightmares, of the Iwo Jima sands. While the others remained seated, it was he that was in awe, For he knew if it wasn't for Soldier's like him, this Nation would surely fall.
My Fellow Patriots, I know many of you have strong feelings on the subject of President Bush's visit to the USS Abraham Lincoln, so I thought you might appreciate CDR McIntyre's letter to Senator Byrd.
Senator Byrd,
As a retired Naval Officer, with two Gulf carrier deployments under my belt, I find your criticism of President Bush's visit to the Lincoln offensive in the extreme! This is the first time that the Commander-in-Chief took time out of his schedule to pay a visit to thank those who served in the line of fire, in a way that was both dramatic and meaningful to those on the carrier.
Perhaps if LBJ got off his fat ass to do something similar,our troops' morale
in Vietnam might not have been so low.
As a Naval officer, I am extremely sensitive to styles of leadership.
That is, after all, our stock in trade. And it was not lost on me that the
President spent about thirty seconds shaking hands with the Admiral, CO, and CAG (If you don't know these abbreviations just look them up in your Funk & Wagnalls!) He then spent the next forty-five minutes putting himself at the disposal of the people who make that ship work, the yellow shirts, the green shirts, the purple shirts, the chiefs, the sailors.
If you don't know the significance of those colored shirts, look it up in
your Blue Jacket's Manual. Not dressed out in formal uniform (I understand at Bush's request), but in their greasy, smelly, sweaty working uniforms ... working a flight deck is hot, hard work. And yet he, in his flight suit, put himself at their disposal, this was their moment for 19 or 20 something year old kids a few years out of high school, to get a picture of themselves with the President of the United States, his arm draped around their shoulder.
That is a moment that those kids never dreamed would ever happen to them, maybe not even when they knew he was coming aboard. Surely, he would see the brass, not the troops. But it was the troops to whom he gave his time ... and it was the most natural moment in the world. You might have thought it was a family reunion, and in a way, it was...
Bush is one of them, the common man, and while he is still the most powerful man on the planet right now he hasn't lost his touch for them.
Was it a political moment?
What moment of a president's life is NOT a political moment? Was it grand standing, to come in to an OK pass to a 4 wire, a bit high in close, correcting, left of centerline? Well, hell, he didn't fly the approach anyway, though I understand from the pilots who flew him that he did a pretty good job at formation flying, tucked in close for a lead change. You can always tell afighter pilot, you just can't tell him very much. And apparently after thirty years, it all comes back, with a little coaching, I am sure. Frankly, I would have liked to see him come aboard in an FA-18, but the Secret Service vetoed that, and Bush accepted their judgment ... again, a mark of a good leader.
If you had spent some time in the service, instead of the Klan, you might understand the significance of that moment to all the men and women aboard the Lincoln, and indeed to all the men and women in the service who shared that moment vicariously. But you chose the bedsheet instead of the uniform, and so you don't.
I am half-tempted to move to West Virginia just so I could vote against you in your next election.
