What's Worth Knowing

One of my all time favorite books is What's Worth Knowing by Wendy Lustbader.

I have read it at least five times and I get something new from of it each time I read it.

The author of the book visits with various older people and they each tell her a story and most have a piece of wisdom to share with others.  All the 104 seniors who offer their thoughts in this volume of reflections have something vital to say about what they found to be most true, most important about life.  She would listen to them talk for hours - I am envious. 

I find it to be inspiring.

I love talking with older people - we could all learn so much from them.

Below I listed some of my favorite passages from the book...and if a photograph was included of the person, I included it as well...I really like having visuals.

Make your days worth remembering.

-Bill Milton, age 89

There's two kinds of people - the ones who live hard and the ones who take it easy.  The hard livers are tough on themselves.  They take chances.  They never stay comfortable for too long.  The easy livers play it safe.  They never push themselves.  One year runs into the next, because the years are all basically the same.

To youngsters, I say, Live hard.  This is your one and only life, the only show in town.  You can't get any of your days back.  Live as if you're going to be old someday, looking back on everything you did.  It's everything you didn't do that will bug the heck out of you.

Make sure you go to Paris.

-Betty Seville, age 76

I always wanted to go to Paris.  Harry would say, "Wait till next year.  Wait till the kids are done with college.  Wait till after we get a new roof."  Wait, wait, wait, that's all I ever heard.  Then he went and had his stroke, not a week after he retired.

You'll always have plenty of reasons for putting things off.  Waiting makes good sense at the time.  But later you'll see things differently.  Trust me.

The best things in life aren't always the easiest.

-Ole Hatlen, age 96

Being young is tricky.  You have to figure out what to do with your life.  That's really hard.  Playing the piano was what I loved.  I practiced for hours on end while other children ran around playing games.  No one had to force me to sit down at the piano.  That's what I wanted to do.

When I grew up, it was the same way.  Everyone told me it would be easier to earn a living doing something else.  They said just about anything else would be easier.  I'm sure this is true.  But I did what I loved.

You are the master of your mind.

-Art Sorenberger, age 90

When you're feeling badly, you can tell your mind to focus on something else.  Your mind is not your master.  You can control how you think and exactly what you think about.  It takes effort, but this is something you can learn how to do.  It gets easier with practice.

This gives you power over your own life.  The way you think about things greatly affects how you feel and therefore how you live.

Mutual respect - that's what enriches every day of married life.

-Frank Williams, age 77

I am always learning from Carter, my wife.  I respect her sensitivity to the people around her and her thoughtful approach to life.  Occasionally, I don't handle something the way she prefers, but I want to hear what she has to say about it.  That's how I've grown, for almost fifty years now.  I think being interested in each other's point of view - whether or not you agree - is as important as taking pleasure in each other's company.

Tension creates.

-Maggie Corbin, age 92

Don't be afraid to fight.  Bring it on.  Provoke each other.  Get hot under the collar.  It's good to have separate opinions.  Arguments stir up passion.  Differences are exciting.  Show me a relationship without conflict and I'll show you boring.

You've got to have a little fire.

-Jerry Kliman, age 82

When I married Sara in 1942, I thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world.  Every day of our life together, I have felt the same way.

People always wonder what makes a successful marriage.  Well, I've been happily married for over fifty years and you've got me - though I think chemistry has a lot to do with it.  I'm talking about good, old-fashioned passion.  In my generation, people didn't wonder about these things, they just did them.

My wife is my best friend and lifelong companion.  Every time I look at her, I still feel like the luckiest man around.

I think this is the neatest project...maybe I can do something similar - keep a journal of what they have to say and what I learned from them...sounds fun, doesn't it?  And I could blog about my experiences with each person...