Many
of the things we learn in life do not occur from overt actions or
communications. Rather, they come from subtle messages that we pick up
along the way. The message is sort of hidden, but eventually you find it
– or more likely, it finds you.
I
recently had one of those moments while attending a gathering of CPAs
at the annual “Sagamar Challenge” in Seymour, Texas. This is a get
together to help raise scholarship money for the TSCPA Accounting
Education Foundation (AEF). This year’s event was hosted by our current
TSCPA Chairman Jeff Gregg, CPA-Wichita Falls, and his lovely wife Becky,
who started this tradition seven years ago as part of our Silent
Auction to assist the AEF.
Those
in attendance were having a fun time consuming adult beverages and
great steaks grilled by our wonderful host and hostess. During the
course of the evening, the conversation among a few attendees turned to
music and various rock groups that we liked and have enjoyed during our
time on this earth. At one point, I made a comment about seeing Janis
Joplin perform live while I attended college, except at that time it was
actually the band “Big Brother and the Holding Company” with whom Janis
Joplin sang as lead singer. This was shortly before her career really
took off and also before her tragic death. I said that this would have
been something like 1968 or 1969, which elicited a comment from another
attendee of, “I would have been eight years old at that time.”
For
some reason that comment really hit me, driving home the point that I
was – for heaven’s sake – OLD! It was a stark realization that I was
officially a “geezer” compared to most of the people with whom I was
having the conversation. Funny, I don’t really feel older, but this was
one of those subtle reminders that while you may think you are part of
the group, you really are not. Anyway, this reminder about my aging
condition did sort of zing me. Not that I spend a lot of time worrying
about my advancing years. I have learned if I don’t look in the mirror
very often or try to engage in highly physical activity, I can continue
to con myself into believing that I am really as young as I feel.
The
following day as I was driving back to Dallas from Seymour, we slowed
down as we were driving through a small town along the way (I believe it
may have been Olney) and as I looked at the side of this one building,
there was a big poster/message painted on it. It looked like it may have
been painted by schoolchildren. Anyway, the message said,“Once you
accept the concept of hope, then anything is possible.”
It
brought a smile to my face. It was sort of a Simon & Garfunkel
moment – “the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and
tenement halls.” And apparently
on the sides of buildings in small towns in Texas. I like it. If I have
hope, then anything is possible. Even for an aging geezer!
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