You know the old saying: “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”  Sometimes I wonder if I’m becoming an “old dog” and don’t know it.  I don’t “feel” old (usually!).  In fact, a few weeks back, Cheryl & I were going to make an outreach visit, and she asked me who we were going to see.  I said, “It is an older couple; they are 55.”  Cheryl said, “Um, you DO realize that you are 52, right?!”  It did catch me off guard.  I don’t “feel” 52.  In fact I gave that some thought: what age do I feel?  Well, I know I don’t feel 30 or 35; I am not totally delusional.  But 40, maybe?  45?  That would be reasonable!  Not that it matters; the truth is, no matter how old I “feel”, I AM every bit of 52 years old.  But that doesn’t mean that I have to act “old.”    

I think one of the signs of an “older” mentality is resistance to change, even when it may be for the better; just getting and staying in a rut.  I know I have some tendencies for getting in a rut anyway; I am not the most creative person around – but there are some hopeful signs.  In fact, both happened last Monday.

The first unfolded when I went in to the office Monday morning and started to “dig out” from the weekend.  I always have a stack of papers that need filing, e-mails that need answering, etc., waiting for me.  And I make a new “to-do” list for the week, with the most important thing at the top: my Sunday a.m. message for the next week.  But I noticed as I tore off last week’s “to-do” list that my legal pad was out of paper, so I went to get a new one.  Suddenly I stopped.  WHY am I going to get a legal pad?  Here I am in the computer age; I use an iPhone, and keep a blog on the internet.  Why am I using a piece of paper to keep up with my weekly tasks?  So with great trepidation I opened the  Outlook on my computer (which I have used for years for my e-mail) and began to set up a task list for the week.  I noticed when I finished the newsletter article yesterday that it showed a line through the task – just like I would make with my pen on the old paper list!  I think this is going to work. 

I was feeling pretty good about my openness to change earlier that day, when Cheryl & I were walking out to the car for visitation, and I was fumbling around for my keys.  I had my briefcase in my left hand, and I was reaching around to my left pocket with my right hand to get my keys.  Cheryl  watched this side show and said: “Why do you keep your keys in your left pocket?”  Again I stopped.  Well, the truth is, I have kept my keys in my left pants pocket for all of my adult life, ever since I have been driving – that would be about 36 years!  I have never thought about it. Suddenly I realized: you know, I do this ALL of the time: I fumble for my keys, which are NOT in the most convenient pocket.  Can’t I move them?  Well, in my right pocket I keep some Tic-tacs … and that is usually about it!  No reason I can’t move them to the other side.  So I did.  It felt odd – but as I used my keys today, it really did work for me better!

     TWO brand-new practices in ONE day.  At 52 years of age.  I think that’s pretty good for an “old guy.”  Maybe you CAN teach an old dog new tricks!  I think at least it shows that I am not totally in a rut; I do have some openness to new things.  (Now, if you’re left wondering why I didn’t just put my briefcase in my right hand, and get my keys with my left, there is a very good explanation for that.  I ALWAYS carry my briefcase in my left hand … 😉