72 Inches. Coffee Filter Prayer!

"Anthony, a college student, was writing a paper on quality of life. He wanted to know what made people happy and if they were content with their lives. He did not want to question common people on the street, but sought the advice of someone who had lived an entire lifetime. At a local nursing home he asked who was the wisest person there and everyone pointed to Joe.

Joe was an elderly man in his eighties with a body to match his age, setting in a wheel chair, back slumped and head down, drooling from the mouth. But he had a sharp mind and tongue. Old Joe had fought in a World War before founding a manufacturing company and retiring a millionaire. He once bought a yacht and sailed around the world. Anthony knew he had found the man who could explain happiness and quality of life.

Joe reached in his pocket and pulled out a tape measure and handed it to Anthony and said "this will explain life." Anthony was confused. How could a tape measure explain life? Was Joe senile?

Then Joe said to pull the tape measure until 72 inches were showing. He explained each inch represents one year of life and the average person has 72 years of productive life.

Many people are active after 72 years but many also die or are disabled before that time. He told Anthony to run his finger from the end of the measure to inch number 6. That is the first years of a person's life when they learn to walk, talk and tie their shoes. Next, inches 7 to 22 is the years a person is getting an education and preparing for life. Then from inches 23 all the way to 62 is when a person marries, raises a family, works a job and hopefully saves money for retirement.

The remaining inches, 62 to 72, is the time when a person can do all the things he wants to do in life but never seemed to have time to do them. Anthony looked at those 10 inches and they looked small compared to the 62 inches already consumed. The more he looked, the more he understood what Joe was trying to say.

What will you do with those 10 inches or years? Did you always want to see the Grand Canyon, tour Europe, ride a motorcycle to Key West or write a book? Ten years is a short period in a person's life and those are the years you can full fill your life long dreams. So get going. What are you waiting for?"

From: See Ya' Down The Road
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Today:

It doesn't seem to be any secret, according to the many wonderful wishes that I had on FaceBook today, that it is my birthdate.  Thank you.

Ever since I read this when I was about 72, it has preyed on my mind. 
Once you get older you realize that you are not invincible, and your time will come sooner than you think, and you wonder when and how!

I haven't done much with the 10+ inches that the Lord has given me.  When I retired, I wanted to RV fulltime again, but now I can see that I wouldn't be happy doing it on my own.  My DH died nearly 10 years ago.  I have too much stuff to sell, parts and tools mostly.   I designed this house, my late DH and I built most of it, so I am very happy with it, I could not replace it, and I don't want to leave it.

So how about part-timing?  Same thing, it is not the same on your own, and at my age I don't even like to drive into the next town by myself.  I often ask Jay if he wants to go with me, as he is the only person who has time to go. 

So that is why I don't get the RV road ready again, I just do not feel safe going long distances by myself.  That really hit me the time I drove that Class B out to the Texas Hill Country to see Deb and Rod. http://debandrod.blogspot.com/  I loved visiting with them, but the drive there and back was so tiring, and lonely.  Even though I had to do all the driving after Johnnie got sick, as he couldn't, I was not alone.

There are lots of places that I would like to see in person, but I am content reading the blogs and seeing the photos of their travels.  Thank you, all you bloggers out there.



Every night when I put a coffee filter in coffee maker to set it up for the morning, I thank the Lord for one more day, and I pray that I have done something good for someone, human or animal, for that day.