Wisdom for all ages

The world has paused for two weeks to focus on the Olympics. Athletes at their physical peak have reminded us of the amazing capacity of the human body. What happens when that body winds down? Modern medicine can only delay the inevitable hands of time. If one looks at the two opposite ends of the spectrum, the potential Twihard fan portion of the US population (everyone under the age of 18) grew at a rate of 2.6% between 2000 and 2010 (2010 US census statistics) and the population aged 45 to 64 grew at a rate of 31.5% for the same time period. The large growth rate of the latter group was mainly due to the aging of baby boomers. The portion of the US population aged 65 and older also grew at a faster rate (15%) compared with the population under age 45. Depending on one’s point of view, this means that some people care about the fate of the Kristen Stewart–Robert Pattinson romance or that many people could not care less, and may instead be contemplating the thought of working through their physical twilight years because retirement is no longer an option. As we grapple with the reality of an aging population, including a growing number of eightysomethings and ninetysomethings, it is important that we also celebrate the wit, wisdom, and achievements of the older generation. Nelson Mandela, former South African president and recipient of the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, recently celebrated his 94th birthday. Pete Seeger, folk singer extraordinaire, is 93. Here are some Mandela quotes and a Seeger Youtube video that deserve gold medals (in the “telling-it-like-it-is” category). 

Mandela quotes

Age

If your knees are becoming stiff, your eyes dim and your head full of silver, you must take comfort in the knowledge that your own contribution is a factor in this ferment.

Forgiveness

For all people who have found themselves in jail and trying to transform society, forgiveness is natural because you have no time to be retaliative.

Friendship

The support of tested and dependable friends gives one the strength to hold on to hope and endure successfully even the most challenging knocks in life.

Heroes

I often say that it is not necessarily the men and women who have titles, it is the humble men and women that you find in all communities, but who have chosen the world as their theatre of operations, who feel the greatest challenges are the socio-economic issues that face the world like poverty, illiteracy, disease, lack of housing, inability to send your children to school – these are my heroes. If any head of state qualifies, he is my hero.

Opportunity

We pass through this world but once and opportunities you miss will never be available to you again.

Poverty

We must also make the point very firmly that the political settlement, and democracy itself, cannot survive unless the material needs of the people, the bread and butter issues, are addressed as part of the process of change and as a matter of urgency. It should never be that the anger of the poor should be the finger of accusation pointed at all of us because we failed to respond to the cries of the people for food, for shelter, for dignity of the individual.

Where poverty exists, there is not true freedom.

Saints and sinners

Never forget that a saint is a sinner who keeps on trying.