The Older I Get

By Joe Rector

Alan Jackson is near the end of his career, a fact that makes me incredibly sad.  A recent song that he recorded speaks to me and to others of my generation. “The Older I Get” is aimed at us seniors to remind us of how we might want to live.

In our teens, most of us felt invincible. The stunts we pulled, when remembered, make us shake our heads and say a “thank you” to the good lord. We drove like bats out of hell. In some cases, guys would line up at the red light in Karns and race to the library a quarter of a mile down the road. Some of us found straight stretches of roads where we could stop, rev the engine, and lay down a streak of rubber from the tires. One favorite stunt was to speed up a hill and feel the rollercoaster-like fall as the car hit the other side. Worst of all, too many of us would drink alcohol, and then cruise from hangout to hangout.

Jackson reminds us that our lives exist for a short period of time. I understand that now, time seems to fly, and days zip by so quickly that we’re confused about what happened on which day.

Then Jackson sings about the importance of friends. He says he doesn’t have many, and that fact is okay with him. To be honest, I have two “best friends.” Yes, that’s a contradiction, but it is true. Doug and Billy have been in my life for forty-plus years. We’ve been through plenty of adventures and trials. No, I don’t see them as often as I did years ago. Doug moved to Louisville, and the end of baseball for our sons caused Billy and me not to have the same amount of time together. Still, I know that if I called either one of these guys, they’d be at my side in a minute and would do whatever I needed. Yes, I have other good friends, but these two men are special.

Now that we are older, my generation has changed its attitude. We started our adulthood working hard and trying to get ahead. We dedicated time to those careers instead of other areas that might have been more important.

These days, we’ve retired. No longer do we need to keep a boss happy or follow procedures to do our jobs efficiently. In our golden years, we are now our own bosses. Most of us are comfortable in our skins and understand what is important. As the song says, “We know when to give and when to not give a damn.”

What makes me smile the most is Jackson’s statement that we oldsters are reaching our best years yet. Freedom to speak our truth, do as we please, and no longer live by a clock is refreshing. Jackson then sings that he wouldn’t drink a drop from the fountain of youth. Neither would I. This generation of mine came of age in the best of times. We have good memories, and sprinkled in are a few sad parts. Still, we experienced the golden age of this country with its actions and music. Our music is still being sung by teens at ballgames and parties.

We don’t have too many years left. Too much of my time is spent at funeral homes to show respect to folks with whom I went to school or with whom I worked. We are far down the other side of the hill. That’s why each and every day that is left should be spent doing things that we enjoy and with those who are most special in our lives.

Alan Jackson’s “The Older I Get” offers us advice that is worth living by for the time that we have left.