Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart

The above proverb has been credited to the Dutch, the Pennsylvania Dutch, the Germans, the Swedes and others.  No matter where it originated it seems to bear a lot of truth.  Life moves on and though at the time we often don’t recognize it we grow older.  And, sadly, we don’t gain the wisdom or the smarts we should.  What gets me to thinking about being older?

Last weekend Connie and I made a quick trip back up to Illinois to attend a family reunion.  There were 15 of us first cousins in attendance.  There were gray and white haired cousins.  How could that be.  It was just a short while ago that we were all “kids.”

Here is a photo of the cousins taken in front of my parents home in the spring of 1952.  The names of those attending the reunion last weekend are in capital letters.  A photo from the recent reunion is on below.

Front row, L-R, Connie, HELEN holding JIM (or is it JOHN), VERA ANN holding JOHN (or is it JIM), BETTY, FRIEDA with GLENN in front of her, Margaret, REVA, KAY with her arm around REVA, BRENDA.  Back row, L-R, Larry, Roger, RONNIE, GARRY (that’s me), ELLIS, Patricia Sue in front of ELLIS, Jeannie, Grandpa Arlie, Diane being held by Grandpa, Sandra in front of Grandpa, GENEAN, Donna being held by GENEAN.  Lyle, Mike, Lorie, Penny, Kayla and KATHY were born after this picture was taken.  Roger, Patricia and Grandpa Arlie are deceased.

  From L-R, Kathy, John, (Jim for some reason didn’t get in the picture), Reva, Brenda, Glenn, Ronnie, Ellis, Betty, Garry, Kay, Vera Ann, Helen, Frieda, Genean.  As you can see we have all aged some in the last 57 years.  I do believe we are all a bit smarter than we were then as well.