Walking along the beach on Daytona
Beach Shores last December, the water temperature was 68F on a rainy and breezy
day. Without a doubt, it was wetsuit conditions for surfers being out in the
Atlantic, but no one informed those kids playing out in the surf with only
their bathing suits on that the water temp was too cold to enjoy playing in the
waves but that didn’t deter them one bit. When I was their age, that is exactly
what I would have done, swimming in the chilling surf rather than walking along
the shore in spite of the weather conditions, but I grew up somewhere along the
line, and something changed inside of me.
The youthful enthusiasm and energy of
these kids reminded me of the grinch that had stolen and continues to steal joy from people’s hearts; his name is Fuddy-Duddy. Fuddy-Duddy believes that
having fun is out of character and inappropriate or sinful. This joyless
creature is a killjoy who is described as dull in appearance, attitude, and
action and kept alive by those who promote not having fun and represses others
from doing so. With a sourpuss, you can be sure he or she invited Mr. Fuddy
Duddy to hang around his or her home. Fuddy-Duddy has no power to turn someone into a stick in the mud unless invited
in as a guest.
Then I looked back and forth like a
spectator in a ping pong match at those on the beach walking and at the kids
out playing in the surf. Then it dawned on me; I saw a graphic difference
between the younger and the older mindsets. We baby boomers are smarter and
wiser; we left that zaniness of “playing out in the surf” long ago and settled for
a more logical and rational point of view.
It haunted me as I walked in the drizzly
rain. I looked back at my footprints in the sand and thought they should all be
in the water, but. I considered who was really living life, those kids or me?
It seemed to me as if I lost something as I got older. Oh, I guess I braved the
elements along with Beverly in order to walk along the beach in the wind and
the rain, woohoo! Most of our friends wouldn’t be out in these messy
conditions and would think we were crazy anyway. Maybe I grew up too fast or
simply forgot how much fun I had when I wasn’t so rational, logical, and grown
up. The contrasts were visually stunning to me.
Mark Twain once said, “Twenty years
from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the
things you did do.”
Growing old is inevitable and a
blessing if you can stay healthy and active, but that is my narrow view of it.
Growing old mentally before our time, however, is voluntary. Time goes by so
fast it can make your head spin, but you know that. So why would we hasten the
days of our lives by growing older before our time? Are we too timid to take
risks or afraid of what others might say about us if we did?
A growing old before our time mindset
is unhealthy physically and spiritually. In fact, it just may be downright
sinful! Cultural expectations, as well as some ecclesiastical expectations, can
keep Fuddy Duddy alive, gearing down lifestyles to a Puritan speed of living,
stiff and cumbersome – “Why don’t you act your age?” “Why do you insist on
being different from the herd?” Who imposed age restrictions on certain younger
generational pursuits anyway? And who is the one that said something is out of
fashion?! “At your age, you don’t do this or that anymore or wear this or think
like this?”
Have you ever noticed that more of the
older generation (and I don’t mean only those over thirty) are riding
motorcycles?1 I think it is a marvelous thing and certainly risky
but exhilarating! It breaks outdated stereotypes and flies in the face of
fearful wrinkle-isms. It’s interesting to see how titles, letters behind your
name, money, position, or age can cause us to undergo some kind of
metamorphosis that strips us from being ourselves or enjoying the simplest of
pleasures in life because now we must play the part and act responsibly
according to societal norms; or maybe we just went too heady and abandoned
former relationships.
I have a doctor friend who is afraid
if he was himself in front of his patients; they would think he was less than professional though
he is brilliant, sensitive, and caring. I have another surgeon friend who is zany more to my liking, but
also I trust him with my life on the table. I have seen friends changed by
money; I have seen friends changed by education, and they acted differently.
They allowed money or education to steal something valuable away from them –
genuineness. They were never the same much to my disappointment for that person
I once knew was no more. It is not like someone who was impacted and transformed
by tragedy, but it is similar; things are different, rarely for the good unless
they are truly seated in Scripture and Christ-like before and after the event.
Our fingerprints declare that we are
unique in the world. No one else has our prints. God wants the world to see
Christ, according to the teachings of Scripture, through our uniqueness, not
someone else’s. But we allow things to take away who we really are. It doesn’t
happen overnight, but there is an erosion factor over time. This is why you see
so many people being disingenuous that we come into contact with because they have allowed something precious and invaluable to be
eroded from their life. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a genuine article
because people are role-playing. More and more believers are being changed by
the world rather than the Word. It’s heartbreaking. There is no such thing as
role-playing in Christ. The world needs to see authentic people in Christ, not
actors.
Ever notice how rare a thing it is to
find a youthful heart among the older generation? I know a precious and godly
woman who is 81 years of age and has the heart of a young person, sassy and
full of life. She has embraced her short time remaining on earth and desires to
live life to the fullest instead of slowing down and being depressed and
negative all the time. She inspires me. Being young at heart doesn’t
necessarily mean being irresponsible, immature, undignified, unfitting, or
inappropriate; it can be simply an expression toward life, a zest for living, a
different outlook – “I’m saved; God is causing all things to work together for
my good; and I am going to heaven!” What a worldview! As believers in Christ we should be the
happiest people in the world for what God has done for us, is doing for us, and
is going to do for us! It’s all good for those who love Christ (Rom 8:28; 1 Cor 2:9)!
I agree with Mark Twain; I think it is
wise for us to do the things that we can while we still can until we can no
longer. Then there are no regrets, fretting over the things we would have wished we had done when we had the opportunity. For if we are granted a long life, the “no
longer” being able to do this or that will eventually arrive quicker than we would like. Why not seize the day while we can! Drain every bit of youthful
energy out of the life God has given us! Twain went on to say,
“So throw off the bowlines, sail away
from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream.
Discover.”
Well, it is time to put your fears
aside and be yourself in Christ (cf. Eph 4:13; Php 3:8, 9, 10, 12; Col 1:9, 10; 2:2; 2 Pet 3:18).
Let’s jettison the baggage we carry for Fuddy-Duddy and kick him out of our
house for good! Then go swimming in the surf of Scripture regardless of the weather
conditions and enjoy this life and the Life forever with a youthful heart that
loves and lives for Jesus. Let people say what they will. Twenty years from now, if the Lord doesn’t return or
we don’t kick the bucket, we will be glad that we did! Just say no to
Fuddy-Duddy! <><
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1http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/publications/special_reports_and_issue_briefs/special_report/2009_05_14/html/entire.html.
See also http://investor.harley-davidson.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=87981&p=irol-demographics
