While

Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves. - Thoreau

weigh the wayward years

all the long walks on short piers

dry my sullen tears

Author's Note

"How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live." - Thoreau

Reviews

[Fabian G. Franklin]

Losing yourself to find yourself seems an awful lot of searching, stumbling and work only to find what was there to begin with. Popeye said, "I yam what I yam." But no generation of youth heretofore has ever listened to the wisdom of its predecessors. They must ride the tiger for themselves. But we might learn from observing what doesn't work like the drunkard's son who won't touch alcohol. Life is short. We must study hard if we want it to last as long as it can. That's the general rule. But then, there's Keith Richards. (laughing) Great read and wonderful use of a few words. F.

[Pete]

great share fgf, thank you. wise thoughts you relate - so true. each generation finds new ways of doing what's needed or at least what they think is needed as they leave their mark upon the world. some of us have to learn the hard way. life is indeed short - that fact has been weighing heavily on me lately and i've been feeling a sense of urgency to suck out all the 'marrow' of each day (as my muse thoreau once wrote). lol - a rolling stone gathers no moss (especially on the geritol tour).

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Some of the tears are tears of contentment....all we live through gives us much wisdom...and many of us decide we have no regrets...we are a summation of the parts of our youth, middle age and now older age.
j.

[Pete]

there are silent victories both in waking up to a brand new day and putting a spent one to bed.

[Vol]

Well, I'll tell ya, Pete, long walks on short piers have more exciting endings than short walks on long piers. Come to think of it, I'll shed a tear right now for my long-ago Florida life and time on any dock at all.
Vol

[Pete]

at least the memories can put as anywhere we like at any time plus they don't cost anything. they say that florida is god's waiting room.

[Vol]

Pete,
Hahahaha! It IS! But that means they need a lot of younger folks to keep them comfortable, fix their hair, wait their table, take their life savins in return for medical care.
Vol

[Pete]

I live in an over 55 community. The motto is, "Getting old ain't for sissies."

[Vol]

I love it... I Florida? My home state. Where?

[Pete]

Taxachusetts.

[Vol]

Oh, I'm sorry.

[Chris Shaw]

Life is a journey of learning. There is good and bad. Hopefully the wayward years make us appreciate the good ones even more. Meaningful brevity Pete.

Chris

[Pete]

so true what you say. even nature has storms but the sun comes out again. everything in balance.

[Chris Shaw]

All about balance Pete:)

[Poetic Beauty]

We learn from our wayward years

[Pete]

true that - we cling to that which gets us through. we are ever learning. thanks pb.

[Poetic Beauty]

Memories do help us get through troubled times as well!!