Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-12-10
Editors Letter Box
The Perpetuity of Youth

The Kennebec Journal:
The stigma attached to "old age"
is passing away. 1t is a modern
as well as an ancient crime to at
tach to an individual who has passed
the age of so, 60, or 20 years, a name
that implies another class, a differ
ent class or a useless class. 1t not
, only helps to establish false prem
Use. but the attitude is destructive
and unwise.
Many men and women cannot live
above this false premise. They sur
render without a. question why. This
great latent force of human energy
Is lost because of mans belief that
he is getting old and ought to give
up.
AS a man thinketh within his
soul. so he is" The truth of this is
so apparent in human life that it
cannot be denied.
An inactive muscle soon withers
and becomes useless: so with the
mind. At the age of so. 60, and 20,
men and women should possess a
more receptive mind, unless biased
by experience and traditions. In this
case. they have no chances to de-
velop. They have closed the door to
every avenue of truth; they have au-
tomatically Joined the ''old age"
class.
The thing that has kept Thomas
Edison young is a vision of the great
possibilities of the future and his
struggle to~attain hem So many
people lack the initiative to overcome
their hereditary tendencies. They are
TOO willing to set their standard by
some others, and usually they accept
low standard and stay there con-
tented.
Anyone, to rise to heights of fame,
must be able to discard many inher-
tied tendencies, overcome environ
ment. and get out into the open field
of opportunity.
The future is our only problem
that Is what we have to deal with.
We are not responsible for the past.
We were once, but not now. The past
Is the thing we have to overcome.
1t may help us or it may hinder us,
according to what 1t has been: but
we are no longer accountable for 1t.
Too many live from what they
have done-their reputation. their
money or their influence. They have
Joined the "old mans class" This is
the class that every man and woman
should avoid.
Keep young by work. by right
thinking, by associations. by dress.
and forever forgetting birthdays.
Did You know the colored people
don't grow old? They get feeble. in
time; but they forget their age.
Mans life is not measured by years.
but by events and deeds.
The fhouphfloSa rorfhs ~ <n1a~,
speak of the old man or the old wo-
man in terms of disrespect. They got
1t from their seniors-so why blame
them. The only thing is to discredit
them and put them in a false posi-
ton.
Personally, have no more regard
for years than I would for a noon
day lunch-that Is the least of my
worries. Why worry. anyway! It is
thief Of time and happiness.
A calamity is often a blessing IN
disguise. Misfortune, like evil, Is n
thing imagined; 1t Is not real.
One loses a relative or friend.
They were not theirs: they were only
loaned for time. People lose for
tunes; 1t was only theirs for a time
at the most.
Men only control wealth-it Is not
theirs. Man doesn't even own his
own body: he only possesses it for a.
time: Like wealth. he may abuse 1t
SO that 1t soon gets useless or be-
comes old. 1t doesn't matter Just
where wealth may be placed, If it is
rightly used.
Mans only possession is his soul,
and that he pays the least attention
to-. His physical condition may con-
troll 1t: environment interferes.
Heredity has to be dealt with. HE
that controls his own spirit is greater
than he that taketh a city"
So the term "old age" Is a much
abused expression. "Old age" like
fruit, should be at its best. Mans
riches do not consist in the things
he possesseth: but rather In his true
knowledge of things.
n II INYcSR HAM