The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1953-08-28
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or ineonsidersts

The business OF growing old is the only business
in which every member OF the human race IS con
stantly engaged and with uniform success. NO lag
CARDS clog the advance OF this business. NO lneptl-
tude of employees negligence, no hardness can
check its sure progress And no Shrewdness or
cleverness of manipulation can make il serve the
few at the expense OF the many which is, of course,
the whole point and purpose of other businesses
In growing old everyone who stays on the job
is an expert No university degrees are needed here
No engineers managers are required No PhD.s
need apply. No psychiatrsts public relations
people rush in seeking TO sell their lntangibles to
the less intelligent intelgentsia. Vocational adj
vsers advisors look elsewhere Tor employment.
For this uneeasing and universally successful
business of aging no training at all is eXacted. A
newborn infant is Immediately busy at II, skilled
and proficient from the moment he appears upon
the human scene. And no one is retired on pension.
For this business the tottering gafer is capable
as the husky stalwart OF youth middle life. No one
retires; no resigns one is fired no one goes
on strike. The Union of Anal agamated Ayers Is the
only perfect Union never dispute to settle; never
sitdown lockout; never meeting for weighing
proposals protest never contested electlon,-
OF any election, for that matter.
We ought to hear sometimes of this business
and It's success 1t would be heartenng thing to re-
mind that, no matter how dismal failure
hold up his head with the best in the work of grow
ing old. Yet how seldom do we hear man con-
graduated upon his success in this particular. All,
to be sure. We were forgetting. We had forgotten
birthday parties, not TO mention the celebration of
jubiIees silver golden, diamond, and uranium.
When old Sam Small - hero in many W w.
Jacobs story, ~ asked the doctor, Am ] dying"
the medical man replied Were all dying, only
some of will 90 sooner than others" Yes we are
tho he bnp h. .Ant
comes. But apart from the widest meaning of the
verb To die, are not constantly working at it,
we are at growing old. Aging is the thing with dy
ing to come kind of grand commencement day
observance.
Despite our skill however and our unremitting
application TO the task of growing old, we the
poorest OF poor Judges of our progress. As we
journey the common road, called Crade-to
Grave Highway we somehow find the horizon
fixed and steady; to bit
nearer TO the distant skyline The future stretches
generously before forty before fifteen the
prospect OF long tomorrow Is as clear TO the
eyes OF eighty TO those fifty. II is easy TO that
a neghbor is coming close TO his goal; il is next
to impossible TO see the same thing for ourselves.
Now and again some rude event may shock a
man into realization of his advanced situation. But
the shock wears off as quickly as II comes
may become suddenly and caamitously aware that
son is being received as babbe from ancient Baby
Ion. Or he may experience a SOLDERING mement of
nettul displeasute when he is summoned TO the
wedding OF one he knew but yesterday as toddler
too young for kindergarten But, as we say. these
shocks that flesh is heir TO are quickly shrugged
off. man sinks back into his constant and content
ed state OF agreeable Seideeeption.
friend of ours, confident of his own position
IN an nchangmg prime of life, was disturbed
Gently when he spent week. S. vacation in his boy
hood home town. He was told about man, call him
Jim Johnson, who had been companion in college
days. "Oh, surely, you remember Jim Johnson. He
went to college with you. He is anxious 10 meet
YOU again But he's not in town just Last week
he went TO Florida to visit his grandchildren"
1t is not that people do not talk OF their grow,
ing old; indeed they always at it. One re.
members grandpa who Tor ten on fifteen successive
ChristmasSes, sounded a sad note the day of JOY
by solcmnly announcing his early demise Well"
he would say this is the last Christmas I'll be with
you Many family has grown up TO that annual
sad refrain But grandpa didn't believe word OF il;
he was just indulging grandparents privilege of
putting himself into prominence, focusing concern
and pity on himself when he could no longer cha-
lenge admiration on excite envy.
Al all events, whatever grandpa's motive, he
was lnduging academic interest in the subject of
death. But he was not sunenderng to old age. II is
hard for TO realize in the full sense of that
word, what il means TO be old; it is perhaps mposs
ible for person 10 realize what II means TO die Mr.
Dooley admonshed Mr.. HennesSey on this point. he
says that the man who thinks of his death is
also thinking of himself as a spectator; one who
stands by the bedside Of himself dying, or one who
stands beside his coffin and hears all the nice
marks made by the neishbors about the deceased
The heart OF man may sentlmentaze, and his
lips mat utter the chen hgaceS of the Roman poet,
but in the sincerity OF his soul he looks on to an
indefinite time yet 10 And II is surely better
so There is more than mere Joke in the words,
III ] knew was going TO die right away, Id die
Life has great value and ii is right and natural 10
wish and expect more of IT, II only VIC could under
stand that the value of lite is making ready for
death That and not the realization Of advancing
age is the blessing all should strive TO achieve.