Wisdom of the Ages or Aged???

Here it is--the end of 2015.  And here I am at 73 1/2 years.  Wow!  That seems old!  But I don't FEEL old.  I feel ALIVE (that's good!); I feel HEALTHY (that's really good!).  And I believe there is still a bit of adventure ahead for me (is that being too optimistic?).  I've had a good life. Certainly not perfect--would change a few participants--yet I must admit they provided some of my greatest lessons.  In all humility, I think perhaps these multiple decades of learning have offered me some wisdom.

1.  I've learned that living in fear prevents the seed of love from blooming.

2.  I've learned that living a life of integrity is severely limited when bound by a thickly constructed wall of rules produced and directed by the male sector of society.

3.  I've learned that I must be honest with myself before I can ever live with integrity before others.

4.  I've learned that intelligence comes from thinking critically--i.e. asking how my opinion/attitude affects ALL members of society.

5.   I've learned that in order to raise an intelligent society we must teach our children to think, to dream, and to believe in possibilities.

6.  I've learned about privilege. One, I'm White!  Two, I'm educated!  Three, I have the right to tell you to go to hell if I choose and won't land in jail, as in other less-privileged-for-women countries.  

7.  I've learned about gratitude.  “Happiness is not the absence of problems. It's the ability to deal with them.” (Steve Maraboli)  I rarely appreciate the problems that come my way.  But in retrospect, I am always grateful for what I've learned from them.

8.  Perhaps my most important lesson: I learned yesterday.  I am learning today.  I will learn tomorrow.  Because there is still much to know.

Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.

                   ― Alfred Lord Tennyson