Fifty years ago today, I opened my eyes to the wonders that are planet Earth. In that time, I’ve experienced extreme joy and heartbreaking sadness. This fact in no way makes me any different from those who have gone before me, those I share the planet with now, or those who will come after I close my eyes and slip into eternal slumber.
Below is a list of 50 things I’ve learned since my arrival (one for each year).
1) Experience is a great teacher, but the cost of tuition can be excruciatingly high.
2) No one ever gets away with anything.
3) Complete silence is a myth.
4) The neighbor’s dog will always start barking the moment you answer the telephone on the porch.
5) Every moment is a chance to start over.
6) Humor and beauty are both in the eyes of the beholder.
7) Attitude is everything.
8) The mirror is a liar.
9) The camera adds 10 pounds, unless you’re on vacation. It adds 30 pounds then.
10) Small victories help to achieve larger goals when given the right amount of appreciation.
11) The weak will always pay the price for the errors of the strong.
12) Compromise is only a dirty word when your soul is involved.
13) Blessed are the peacemakers. Truly!
14) You lose every fight you run away from.
15) A thing being sold is always more valuable than a thing being purchased.
16) The view is only as clear as the heart is pure.
17) When you feel at war with the whole world, double check your own battle plan.
18) The worst examples of any group will always make the headlines.
19) Mistakes and accidents don’t make you a bad person. The inability to recognize them as such does.
20) “The End”, rarely is.
21) “Yes” and “No” are the two most powerful words in the history of mankind.
22) People teach what they themselves have been taught. This is an awesome responsibility. Taken too lightly, the effects can leave a society in ruins.
23) Movement is evidence of life.
24) Losing everything can be quite freeing.
25) No one knows everything about anyone.
26) Almost everyone with minimal education can write. Not everyone is a writer, though.
27) The worst infant is still better than the best adult.
28) Focusing too much on the destination takes away from the joy of the journey.
29) Patience, when practiced for too long, begins to look a lot like immobility.
30) Comfort, in limited doses is great. But I believe the first chair was built only after the ground became uncomfortable.
31) Casinos aren’t built to pay out.
32) A story is only interesting to those who can see a reflection of themselves as they are or as they wish to be.
33) Profanity will never improve your position in any disagreement.
34) I prefer the weeks leading up to Christmas over the day itself.
35) I still don’t know how old is “too old”.
36) No matter how many times I look at it, I am still in awe of the night sky.
37) The roar of the ocean is deeply relaxing, but the drip of a leaky faucet can drive one mad.
38) Nobody ever reads number 38.
39) Reality rarely lives up to fantasy. Fantasize anyway.
40) Everyone is special to someone.
41) Soft sand trumps the most expensive man-made pathway every time.
42) Every story is relayed from the viewpoint of the speaker.
43) Truth is a rare commodity and despised by those who fear it.
44) We celebrate the sunrise and the sunset, but rarely the noonday.
45) The earlier you start, the greater your chance for success.
46) Preparation may not always mean victory, but it certainly makes victory harder for the other side.
47) There are times in life when giving up truly does make the most sense.
48) No scars. No life.
49) Don’t ever ask the question how much worse can it get. You will definitely find out in short order if you do.
50) Never question those who love you or those who hate you. Usually, neither knows why for certain.
Well that’s it. With a little love and luck I’ll survive to do my list of 100 things I’ve learned.
I can hardly wait to see the device I’ll be using then to convey that list.
(Editor’s note: For Rob’s list of 47 things he learned, written in 2011, visit, “Rain Can Fall From a Clear Blue Sky + 46 Other Things I’ve Learned“.)
Sweet. It’s your birthday and we get a gift. I LOVE your lists. Thank you for sharing some birthday wisdom.
As for #35:
“I still don’t know how old is ‘too old’.”
Keep it that way!! It’s much more fun.
Happy 50th, Rob. Hugs!!
Oh, Dawn, what a great thing to say. I truly value your friendship and appreciate your support.
P.S. I plan too, lol. Re: keep it that way.
Happy Birthday, Rob!
I love your list of 50 lessons 🙂
And in honor of your birthday, here is a bit of Marie Dressler’s wisdom: “By the time we hit 50, we have learned our hardest lessons. We have found out that only a few things are really important. We have learned to take life seriously, but never ourselves.”
Best wishes,
Dorlee
Thank you so much, Dorlee. That quote is sooooo true, lol.
Right on brother, fantastic!
p.s.44
Mad dogs and Englishmen may disagree.
Thanks Graham. I’m sure you would know more about that than I would, lol!
Happy Birthday Rob! Yes, viewpoint, perspective, time, and action all color our lives! No one stands alone. There is a ripple caused by each word, thought, and action. I agree with your perspective. One question, number 47 – I say change direction or redefine the goal vs give up. Tell me about “give up”?
Cindy, first of thank you for the Bday wishes.
I have had relationships, both personal and business, that had I given up on them a little earlier would have saved me a lot of time, trouble and in some cases, money. I am not a quitter by nature, but at my age, I am no longer as interested in depending on the river card in hopes of recouping my losses as I may have been in the past.
Happy Belated Birthday, Rob!
When I read your post, I got the distinct feeling that during your 50 years you’ve figured out “how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass, how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields…” as Mary Oliver writes in her poem, “A Summer Day”.
With your birthday posts (this one and the one re: your 47th) you are walking the talk in your Number 22 and we all benefit from that. Thank you!
By the way, I did read Number 38. 🙂
Jackie Yun
Rob,
Back again because I discovered a kindred voice to your Number 22: People teach what they themselves have been taught. This is an awesome responsibility. Taken too lightly, the effects can leave a society in ruins.
Do you know Jon Mertz at http://www.thindifference.com? His “Two Principles for A Life Well Lived”: (1) What you do in your present matters. (2) What you pass forward matters.
As I mentioned to Jon, when a theme keeps popping up, I know life is messaging me.
Thanks again for sharing your life lessons!
Jackie Yun
Hi Jackie and thank you so much for your generous comments here.
I had never heard of Jon Mertz until now. I followed the link you provided and spent so much time reading on his site that I almost forgot I had logged in here to respond to you, lol. I will definitely be revisiting that site. Thank you for the introduction.
I love it when some rambling of mine touches the reader in a real way.
I like to think I have, re; Mary Oliver poem and appreciate very much the addition of her stanza and recognition of same to my own journey.
As to #22, I believe a thoughtful person could easily fill volumes around this one subject and never run out of material.
Every day, we are tasked to set good examples for those around us and to make certain that what we are teaching in word and deed will place a check mark in the “good” column at the end of the day. I believe the Scriptures are very clear on our responsibility here.
As to seeing and paying attention to recurring themes, you and I are definitely of like-mind here. The ability to listen to what the universe is telling us is a skill to few of us hone.
Again, thank you so much your encouraging words and it’s great to hear from you.
Rob
PS Thank you for reading #38. It’s an oft overlooked and ignored number, lol.
I read number 38. I think it is cousin to floor 13.
HAPPY belated birthDAY! Oh wait… I was there 😀
Happy Belated 50th, Rob!
Am I late to the party!
What a great way to review what you’ve learned, and to use that learning to set the course for the next year. (It would have been interesting to see your lists at 18, 30 and 40.)
I like #17 because it highlights the importance of perception and how our perceptions colour our world.
You made me laugh with #37 – so true!
The corollary to #35, is one I stress in my presentations – learn to change I feel so old and tired because invariably, you will feel old and tired.
Here’s to a state of O.L.D. (Obtaining Longevity Deliberately)!
Warmly,
Marianna
Marianna, first of all, good company is never “too late”. Second, thank you for the birthday greeting.
I wonder how different those lists would be. Especially the one at 18, lol.
17 is probably the hardest one for me to admit to sometimes, but on those occasions that I do swallow my pride, I find the world quite responsive.
And, of course, with 37 it is all about perception and rhythm.
As to 35, well I really thought I’d be a lot older by the time I turned 50. As it turns out, I’m no less likely to take on a new adventure now then when I was 20. I am just better equipped to take them on.
I have missed hearing from you and was delighted to see a comment from you. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my musings and for leaving such a meaty response.
I hope to hear from you again soon,
Your “not yet too old” friend,
Rob