The days that I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations, I have really good days.

[Flying B]

 

[Jamie Hurley]

Amen to that. I find (as I'm sure we all do) contentment is hard to maintain in the 21st century, but most of us have so much to be grateful for.

I'm married to my best friend, I have a lovely little home on the creek, a steady job, and my wife owns a a coffee shop of her own. We're both healthy, talented, and happy. Hard to ask for more.

But it's also hard to keep from thinking about what's next...

 

[oldwood]

When you come from nothing , low expectations are a good policy. I don't expect to be thanked for doing good , and just try to help those that are in need. Often times folks with high expectations are rewarded , with crushing failure , and disappointment overcomes them. In the Book , it says , " Those to whom much is given , much is expected." This can be wealth , or talent to accomplish some mission , or , you see where I'm going with this. Just some simple words to live by.
Wife and I are in our upper seventies. We wait from Ilness to illness to see what's next , and have found there are many , who never get beyond the next chrisis to wait for the "next Illness." Gettin old truely sucks , but learning how to cope , and handle any mess can be very rewarding. You'll get your chance , if fortunate. My hunting buddy of 50+ yrs. and I , went to deer camp last week here in the Pa. north woods. Temps. were in the teens , too cold for old guys , but the younger hunters stopped in to tell us of their hunts. We fed the woods birds sunflower seeds and watched . The only chrisis of the trip was running out of doughnuts mid week , but a short ride to the store remidied that. Life is good , the 50+ yrs. in the woods during past hunts , have rendered priceless experiences.
Ok , one story......A friend had two young sons wanting to learn hunting deer in the open woods. First we bought a box of chocolate covered raisins. Since there was a light snow on the trail , and plentiful deer tracks , I assumed the lead on the way walking in to the hunting spot. On silent signal , I dropped some raisins in the trail , among the deer tracks. My hunting buddy allowed the two young hunters to go ahead of him , and he said "there is some deer poop. He bent down , and picked some of the lookalike candy poop , and popped it into his mouth. while the two nimrods watched in amazment. My bud promptly enunciated , " it was a buck that expelled the poop. " , as if by tasting the poop , an expert hunter could identify the sex of the animal. The young hunters were close to expelling their breakfast's , when we couldn't hold back the laughter any longer , the joke was spring. Maybe you might not think this was a funny experience , but it was full of low expectations , turned into an experience two young hunters will never forget..............oldwood

 

[BillinOregon]

Oldwood, that chocolate-covered raisin stunt beats any snipe hunt I have ever had anything to do with!

 

[Dutch7]

Saw a t-shirt on vacation that said
Want to be happy?
Lower your expectations,
Lower…
There you go!

Got a good chuckle

 

[oldwood]

Bill............The raisin prank isn't yhe half of it. The two young hunter trainees , with the raisin /deer poop trick have a Dad. The last day of that Muzzleloader deer season here in Pa. , was very cold. My buddy and I found a totally frozen road killed deer near where we park , to walk into our hunting grounds. The frozen deer froze with it's legs sticking out and down . The Dad of the two trainees was coming to hunt with us in the last week of the season. Before the Dad got to the parking lot , my buddy took the stiff deer down the road where we walk in , and stood the deer up against a sapling. The Dad got there , and we started down the access road until we got to the frozen deer. We acted surprized to see a nice doe along the road , and hurredly told the Dad to shoot it as neither of us had loaded our flint locks yet. Dad shot the frozen carcass and just stood there with us urging him to reload quickly and shoot again , for it might run off. Dad looked at the deer for a moment , and we couldn't hold our laughter any longer. He figured something was amiss quicker than we suspected he would. It was another good prank.

 

[user 31232]

I've heard many times that "growing old sucks". Yes and no. When I think about those of us allowed to gain years,I'm 68 I feel a certain privilege. Like most of you I've incurred health issues and am able to go on. Sadly some don't. But what I'm trying to say is consider the many that struggle with crisis of varying kinds in their youth and don't see many years. The older ones of us have lived several lifetimes compared to the many that died young. I try to seek goodness and enjoyment in every day, sometimes that is difficult to do. But with God's promise as my guide I endeavor to keep on going.

 

[oldwood]

Gidaddy.......You are a wise man. Good post. See ya some day......oldwood

 

[SOLANCO]

I've heard many times that "growing old sucks". Yes and no. When I think about those of us allowed to gain years,I'm 68 I feel a certain privilege. Like most of you I've incurred health issues and am able to go on. Sadly some don't. But what I'm trying to say is consider the many that struggle with crisis of varying kinds in their youth and don't see many years. The older ones of us have lived several lifetimes compared to the many that died young. I try to seek goodness and enjoyment in every day, sometimes that is difficult to do. But with God's promise as my guide I endeavor to keep on going.

Those as died young are not available for comment.

 

[user 31232]

Those as died young are not available for comment.

That's an obvious conclusion,but i really don't see the point of your comment. Care to explain?

 

[user 31232]

Thank you my friend