As I Grow Old I've Learned:

1) The outcome of sports events don't matter. Few people remember them for long, forgotten among the hustle-bustle of life.
2) Family does matter. They will be there for you even if no-one else is for they care the most.
3) Friends matter. Not those who claim you can count on them but those who regularly show up over an extended period of time.

4) A child in need matters, wherever in the world that child is. Our role as adults is to protect him or her and to ensure there is food, love and medical care and to offer hope. If we fail a child, we have failed our spiritual selves.
5) Mankind matters regardless of religious affiliation. We are all brethren and in the end, religious beliefs all have the same fundamental concerns and will lead us to the same place. We don't realize it because of some self-righteous religious leaders and our own egos dividing us.
6) Arguments don't matter. Seldom is anyone persuaded by anyone else's argument and they serve to hurt our feelings and to divide us. The wise person sets arguments aside and strives to understand the other person's perspective.
7) Gentle hugs, kisses and sincere words of encouragement could uplift the entire world, a world so desperately in need of love.
8) Forgiveness is as important as love. Carrying anger only destroys the well being of the carrier and is the basis for retribution. Lack of forgiveness and understanding leads to ignorance and fear and leads to wars, such as those being fought today and those fought throughout history.
9) A kind word and a smile can uplift the life of anyone who receives it.
10) Don't wait until someone is dead to praise them. Do it now while they can appreciate it. They may not be here tomorrow and neither may you.
11) Most elections don't matter. They are often an illusion held to give the vast number of powerless the belief they actually have a voice. What does matter is when people unite in a common cause for that scares those in power and often compels them to change and become responsive, at least for a period of time.
12) Non-violent, love and respect driven demonstrations are the most powerful of all. Gandhi was right.
13) Others don't take you nearly as seriously as you take yourself and few will remember most of what you said.
14) The words and actions of most historic figures join the results of wars and other major events in being forgotten by most people. If you doubt that, ask them to tell you about Julius Caesar, Jesus Christ or Martin Luther King, Jr. But ask them about their own lives and those of their families and they can recite it in depth, for this is what really matters to them.
15) Aside from the jobs they provide or cost, or vital services they provide or dividends they pay to those in need, the work of most corporations is meaningless, largely based on the egos of those who run them. That's why most corporations fade away with time.
16) Laugh and laugh often, including at your own mistakes. It will relieve stress and give you a more joyful life
17) Focus on the now. Live this moment. And appreciate what you have while you have it. Most people take for granted there will be tomorrows and the essential people in their lives will always be there. But those of us who have seen death take loved ones know better. Don't live for tomorrow assuming there will be one.
18) Don't take your health, your vision, your hearing or any other vital function for granted. These things are precious and in a heart beat you could lose any of them.
19) Don't treat celebrities as role models. Their lives and actions as you see them are largely the creation of public relations firms meant to sell images of them and other products they endorse You are the role model for everyone you come in contact with starting with your children. Live your life accordingly.
20) Be the living embodiment of how you believe God would treat others. You will never live up to that embodiment but as you strive to achieve that remarkable task each day think of how you will inspire the world one person at a time. In the words of Mother Teresa, "Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile."
21) Every person is your equal. Don't let poverty fool you. They may just have not received the advantages you have in this life.
22) Animals are beings too. Treat them with love and respect. I wish I had come to this realization sooner for I didn't become a vegetarian until I was 56 years old. And if you can no longer give a pet a good and loving home, find another good and loving home for that pet. Don't abandon a being who loves and needs you and may not survive without you.
23) If you believe a cause is true, take action to support it, even if it is unpopular or you are the only one who believes in it. As Gandhi said, "Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is still the truth."*
24) Each day, take 10 minutes, lay down and close your eyes and relax. It is a marvelous stress reliever for your body and it is your body that houses your soul.
25) Feed your soul every day. Do something kind for another, read or listen to inspiring words and literally smell the roses or inhale another scent that tingles your senses.
26) Whatever you do in life, be sure and have someone to share it with. One really is the loneliest number.

These are some of the truths I've learned in my 66 years of life and I hope they will serve you well dear reader.

Dick
*This quote may be approximate but it is one I've kept in my heart in conducting numerous peace vigils over the U.S.'s Iraq and Afghan Wars, when sometimes there was no-one else but me visible during the vigils. I stand along busy Pacific Coast Highway in the Los Angeles area firmly believing those wars are a tragic mistake and appealing to peoples' consciences to help stop them.