Growing Old Is Not for the Meek: (My Aging Memories)

By Walter Sawyer

Growing old, I have many things to be grateful for. The young lady I met after getting out of the Navy (I still can see her after fifty years), the petite five-foot skinny long brown hair to her shoulder, brunette, she wore blue slacks with a checkered blue-and-white blouse. I will never forget the first sighting of her; the monument will live in my mind forever.
I am grateful for my three children, my seven grandchildren, and my five great-grandchildren.
Tomorrow is not promised to anyone. After the loss of my wife after thirty-one years and firstborn, who found life too hard to handle, took the easy way out, not realizing that we all belong to someone other than ourselves; yes, it is my life, but is it? Who do we leave behind, and what is the repercussion from it? Without a doubt, people’s lives well be changed.
I have many memories of our adventures, traveling to the many states across the United States of America.
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page” (St. Augustine).
No one wants to live in the past. Anyone who is above the age of seventy has lived to tell you this is true.
The worst thing about growing old is the ones you leave behind. Even worse are the items they left behind: the items you can touch remembering who gave them to you or the items you gave to them.
For every house that has lost someone, their ghost or angel is still there walking around keeping you warm, a breath of fresh air with a scent when there is no scent for you to smell. Most individuals live on memories, wishing they could do some of their past again.
My book is about life, and I am sharing it with you. I have made many mistakes; maybe you can adjust your life to make it a little better for those you care for.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887513546

Book preview

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Growing Old Is Not for the Meek

(My Aging Memories)

Walter Sawyer

ISBN 979-8-88751-353-9 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88751-354-6 (digital)

Copyright © 2023 by Walter Sawyer

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Acknowledgment

Introduction

In the Beginning

Raising Children

Kitchen Table

In My Father's Eyes

Later Years

Old Fashion Values

Firearms Care and Caution of Using Them

Ten Gun Safety Rules

Assume that Any Gun, at Any Time, is Loaded

What It's like to Be a Father

What It's like to Be a Mother

Military Experience

To Realize

(Author Unknown)

Tomorrow Is Not Promised to Anyone

(Author Unknown)

My Hopeful Future Years

About the Author

My Future Years

Today, Dear Lord, I am 80, and there is so much that I haven't done.

I hope, Dear Lord, you'll let me live until I'm 81.

But then, if I haven't finished all I want to do,

Would you let me stay a while until I'm 82?

So many places I want to go, so very much to see.

Do you think that you could manage to make it 83?

The world is changing very fast; there is so much in store.

I'd like it very much to live until I'm 84.

If by them I'm still alive, I'd like to stay till 85.

More planes will be up in the air, so I'd really like to stick,

And see what happens to the world when I'm 86.

I know, Dear Lord, it's much to ask (it must be nice in heaven),

But I would like to stay until I'm 87.

I know by then I won't be fast and sometimes will be late,

But it would be so pleasant to be around at 88.

I will have seen so many things and had a wonderful time.

So I'm sure that I'll be willing to leave at 89, maybe.

(Thank you to the unknown person who contributed to this article.)

Acknowledgment

Special thanks to Dolores Jewell, my editor and proofreader. She has spent many tedious/countless hours working with me to make this book possible.

Introduction

When I look back over the years, I see what I have lost and what I have gained. I have lost many friends, many that I grew up with serving in the military: worst of all, my family members I loved for thirty-one years, my wife, and my firstborn who would have carried on the family name.

All I have are the memories we shared with each other or that our children gave me. I realize that growing old isn't for the meek. It seems as we grow old our body changes, we fall apart and the repair shop is the hospital.

I've lived my life one day at a time. I am eighty years old; I've made many mistakes and gone out of my way to take care of others. I realize my life is given to me for a short period of time. I want to leave behind something others can remember me by. My books are 400 Years Across the Ocean and The Birth of America. I hope will be my legacy.

Definition of meek: quiet, gentle, easily imposed on, submissive, shy, peaceful, docile, mild, demure, modest, humble, lowly, unassuming.

It is no lie. Growing old isn't for the meek.

I was told that you only write about what you know about. I can vouch for that because I am over eighty years of age, raised three children with seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

I have always walked with an angel on my shoulder and a dream in my heart. Whatever I have my mind on, things do come true. Many times, I have been placed in a leadership position when I'm not even trying.

I always look forward. I once told God, If you take care of me, I will do your biddings. Maybe the twelve thousand hours of community service is my gift to him and why things have worked out in my favor all these years. I can remember a time on the road hitching.

A stranger (maybe an angel)