Redneck Review!
Tribute to Chuck Mader
We have all heard it before!  LIFE IS A BATTLE!  And this old saying was brought to my attention a couple of weeks ago, when an old friend and  fellow ball player and myself ended up in the Mini Village the same morning!  Not quite my age, but even a bit more beat up than myself perhaps, he and I exchanged a few bits of wisdom as we poured ourselves a  couple of hot drinks. Then, both realizing we were living the GOLDEN YEARS,  the challenge was thrown my way to put a few comments  here about those golden years, and how they affect those of us who are living them to the max!
Well, old friend!  Here it is!  Those GOLDEN YEARS we used to envy years ago when we were younger and envied those old folks who simply sat back, relaxed and enjoyed peace, quiet and relaxation, now do not seem so golden now that we are living them! Now, most of us at this age will admit LIFE is STILL a  BATTLE!  In my own case, simply getting up in the morning is one of the first, as no demand to be on task at a job or a business forces the decision.  And reaching down to pick up a dropped article?  Not an easy task if possible at all for we golden oldies!  And oh, yes!  What about getting up off of the floor should we find ourselves suddenly down there?  Could well be its time to push the button, and feebly moan, "Help!  I've fallen and cannot get up!"
And why all of a sudden is it so difficult to climb or descend stairs?  Or do any of those simple little tasks that were so automatic years ago?  And boy does the ego take a huge beating when people all around are nervous and know that any minute you are going to fall out of the bleachers at a ball game, or trip and fall on your face while in public!  Or dare to take a few steps without your trusty cane to lean on!
Yes, folks!  Young and old!  Once you enter the GOLDEN YEARS, you will learn or already  have, that everyday is STILL A BATTLE of one kind or the other!  The GOLDEN YEARS are really not as golden as you thought they might be years ago. Doctor visits are on the increase, hospital trips to repair or replace old worn out parts seem necessary, and joints which used to work so smoothly,  now seem to grind and hurt with every move!  
But not all is doom and gloom!  There is a valuable plus side to those of us who fall into this category!  For one, retirement time provides the opportunity to visit other people you would rarely have had time to see before.  This indeed has been a plus for me, and I might add, an inspiration in a case or two.  Visiting an old friend in a nursing home, I met another older man, almost 100, who quickly made an impression on me!  I thought to myself, he is nearly 20 years older than me, yet still gets around, gets up and down, and is a very fascinating conversationalist!  In the course of our discussions, he preached the need for exercise, and even showed me a routine he goes through every day! A once married man, his only wife died years before, he brags about his family and their success and is quick to share his conviction that honesty and hard work are necessary for success in life and for individual self esteem.  Nor did he hesitate even a moment in adding that prayer and belief in God and a savior are necessary in the life of everyone!  
Which brings to mind another plus the golden years has driven home to me.  After all, no one of us is going to live forever, so thoughts of what its like on the other side of the grave become more intriguing!  And I, for one, am most grateful that the theory that makes the most sense to me assures me that a loving God and savior awaits those of us who believe and struggle to live the life that such a belief requires! So good Lord, bless all of us!
P.S: The challenge "thrown my way" in June of 2017 came from my old friend and fellow ballplayer Charles "Chuck" Mader, recently deceased.  So I am reprinting this RNR in his honor as he was responsible for much of what it says!  And my prayers for you, old friend, and may your cowboy days up above be kinder to your beat up body!  God Bless!
Jake Wren

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