Here I go again. It’s time for my annual birthday joke. Bear with me.
So it’s my birthday. Yep, I turned 27, and other than a slight case of dyslexia, I feel pretty good.
I didn’t mean to get old, it’s just that after a while, there I was. Gray hair. Heart problems. Marathons turned into walks.
But that’s OK. I – and everyone else – are allotted only so many trips around the sun. I feel as though a few decades are enough. After all, Napoleon Bonaparte was 51 when he died, and he helped shape Europe and, when he sold Louisiana, the United States. Mahatma Gandhi was 78. He used nonviolence to help gain independence for India. Mother Teresa was 87. She dedicated her life to helping the “poorest of the poor.” Adolf Hitler was 56. He tried to take over Europe and is directly responsible for the deaths of more than 70 million people.
Good or bad, saintly or devilish, our ride on Planet Earth is limited. Whether we help or hinder humankind is up to us.
So much money and energy is devoted these days to helping people live longer. Researchers say that in the not-too-distant future people could live as long as 150 years.
I’m glad I won’t be around for that. I would much rather focus on quality of life over quantity. I’ve known people who lived into their 90s and for years were miserable. They didn’t feel good and imposed that on everyone around them.
I’ve known others whose lives were far too short. I had a friend years ago who was also a mentor. But he was more than that. He was an example anyone would do well to follow. He lit up a room when he walked in, and when he spoke, people leaned forward to listen. He was by turns funny, serious, thoughtful and silly.
Michael Kenny was also a Catholic bishop. He died 30 years ago at age 57 during a pilgrimage to the Middle East. I think about him every day. Knowing him made me a better person.
Whether someone is around for 50 years or 150, he or she will be measured by what they did, not how long they lived.
I have a favorite song. You’re going to laugh when I tell you the title: “Man in the Mirror.” Michael Jackson (he died at 50 years old) made it popular in 1988. If you haven’t heard it, you can find it on YouTube, Spotify and any number of other sources.
It’s a real toe-tapper, but beyond the beat there’s a message. My favorite part of the lyrics is: “If you wanna make the world a better place, Take a look at yourself ….”
Yes, take a look at yourself. What do you stand for? Are you part of the solution or part of the problem? That’s something I think about a lot. I hope other people do, too. Political fads will come and go, but becoming a better person will never go out of style.
Carl Sampson is a freelance writer and editor. He lives in Stayton.
