If you value people who are older—and also your own aging—these entries will help you rejoice in the fullness of this stage of life: its gritty realities, secret joys, hidden spirituality and cherished moments—reasons to be grateful that old age is always a gift from God!
(The legendary characteristics of an ill-tempered elderly male are well-known to me—traits and behaviors that I exhibited a few weeks ago. Not one of my proudest moments. Perhaps these reflections might be helpful….) Given my life circumstances in this era of grumpy political leaders, crabbiness might seem to have some legitimacy. Like you, I live in testy times, so it seems fair to join in theMORE...
Over about six years now, I’ve grown increasingly wary about elements of daily life that have shown themselves as potentially dangerous. The ascendancy of a treacherous autocrat started the process, continuing with his tumultuous years as presumed leader of the free world. A variety of near-thefts of my online identity added to my cautious spirit, as did several widespread hacks of enterprisesMORE...
(Some additional “greater good” thoughts didn’t find their way into the previous entry. Here’s the rest of what was rattling around in my brain.) Greater-good-seeking will always remain risky, difficult work. Still, this way of living is worth pursuing because of its inherent worth, its benefits and outcomes. The value of seeking the greater good seems obvious: more people benefit from more ofMORE...
’ve regularly invoked “seeking the greater good” as a guiding life principle. But discernment seems especially challenging during this time of headline-grabbing news and unprecedented emotions. Here’s how I might fine-tune this “greater good” thing…. Measure carefully. “What’s good” might not be easily calculated, especially when I’m wary about what’s true. Nowadays I look at hoped-for outcomesMORE...
The idea of frail can be a legitimate adjective that follows us older folks around, tugging at our sleeves and asking for our attention. But once we grant that thought its place in our self-concepts, it can crawl into our brains like attitudinal kudzu—climbing/winding/vining its way into nooks and crannies where other ideas and emotions would like to prosper. Frail can be both an accurate measureMORE...
We older adults have likely faced enough of life’s circumstances to be able to deal maturely with our emotions. This attribute might make us especially valuable in helping younger congregation members gather around themselves the life skills necessary to handle their emotions wisely. Our capabilities for emotional regulation could be a valuable help for what’s troubling our society right now: TheMORE...
If you’ve gone through anything resembling a catharsis—a complete re-examination of your identity, purpose or worth—you might remember a possibly chaotic emotional state right before this deep self-cleaning began. Those emotions—including total repentance and longing for a fresh start—may have been strong motivation for you to move beyond the dead-end of an unsatisfying self-concept or lifestyleMORE...
Some of those who think about the inner workings of AI have come to the conclusion that, around 2026, chatbot training processes might run out of human-originated data! This might seem arcane—as in “Who cares?”—except that large language AI training algorithms depend on machines that slurp up vast quantities of information to feed into models of predictable reality. With less material to scrapeMORE...
This Spring, I waited just a tad too long before starting the weeding tasks that are required of anyone claiming to be gardener. The seasonal rains had encouraged the weeds to reach their highest aspirations, so I was pulling out a small, grassy thicket of tall, thick tangles of greenery. Before going full bore on weed-removal, though, I tried to recall where there might also be flowers living inMORE...
(I’ve written previously about a brilliant member of our church—let’s now call him Larry—who’s one of those outliers way out ahead of the rest of us and therefore deserving of our admiration and respect. Today a different take on Larry’s current predicament—one many older adults may know full well….) Recently I’ve encountered Larry’s vexation about some of the electronic wizardry that surroundsMORE...
BOB SITZE has filled the many years of his lifework in diverse settings around the United States. His calling has included careers as a teacher/principal, church musician, writer/author, denominational executive staff member and meat worker. Bob lives in Wheaton, IL.