[A good friend of mine and my UP Law classmate, Joe Camano, now based in Michigan, U.S.A., is one among many whom I idolize. He showed a lot of spunk when as freshman then in mid-7os, he virtually engaged our eminent law professor a TITAN in CRIMINAL Law, the late Prof. Bienvenido Ambion, into a debate. Irked by Joe’s spunkiness, Prof. Ambion cut him short with a castigating remark. But Joe stood his ground, and most reverentially acknowledged his drubbing with a meek smile. Joe has been egging me to retire but after learning that my 94-year old Daddy Max (shown in the right photo sandwiched by my daughters Shayna and Cheska] still goes to work everyday serving his co-Korean War veterans as Prexy of the PEFTOK VETERANS’ ASSOCIATION – 10th BCT at their Camp Aguinaldo office; Joe is eager to meet Daddy Max in the flesh, perhaps someday, in his Michigan mansion. Thus, Joe served as inspiration to this FUN RHYME BLOG.]
As is oft-repeated: “Youth is a state of MIND…”;
“… not a matter of rosy cheeks … supple knees”– it further SIGNED,
As our clan is named YOUNG, with a NONAGENARIAN, I felt it DIVINE—
To speak out some thoughts, for some friends of MINE.
Most senior people pines for RETIREMENT;
As if it’s some kind of boon; as though heaven-SENT,
But alas and ahoy; people who RETIRE…
After some time, they sort of…choose to DIE.
When you retire from work, you lose the COMPULSION;
To wake early up and slumber early soon, in daily SUCCESSION—
For oversleep is bad; and undersleep is BADDER!
You really need to bathe with soap and LATHER.
To wake up early at FOUR or at FOUR-THIRTY;
Is truly neither easy nor is it really FUNNY,
But those famed NAVY SEALS of founder, Roy BOEHM;
Swear that early wake ups give them vim and KABOOM.
But most special still is to indulge in SPORTS;
So that endorphins will truly soothe one’s senile SNORTS,
And make one still capable of wearing SHORTS—
While munching leafy salad with matching BRATWURST.
If you do not engage in SPORTS,
You’ll lose the body’s ability to produce OPIOIDS of SORTS;
It’s triggered by the so-called “RUNNER’S HIGH”,
It’s what makes one to look YOUNG and SPRY!
But bless the banana, it’s total EUPHORIA!
It’s good for the heart, for the eyes and CRANIA;
As my Dad Max who’s so fond of the FRUIT,
At 94, he still plays shuttlecock like a BRUTE.
Dad Max will tire you with his “drop-ball” SPANK;
He’ll confuse, confound and careen YOU—-
And make you really sad, bad and OUTFLANKED…
Till you’d find the shuttlecock sort of landing in a marshy BAYOU.
STAYING UN-RETIRED COULD INDEED MAKE ONE EASILY TIRED…
BUT IN THIS EPISODE OF ONE’S LIFE, STAYING ACTIVE IS MUCH DESIRED;
ONE’S MIND MUST CONTINUOSLY BE WORKING, INSTEAD OF JUST DREAMING- –
FOR WITH AN INACTIVE MIND, ALZHEIMER’s MIGHT SET IN!
IT HAS BEEN SAID TOO THAT THE AGE AT 70 TO EIGHTY…
A PERSON’S MIND WOULD HAVE A MORE AMAZING CREATIVITY;
AND THE LIFE EPISODE FROM EIGHTY TO NINETY, THEY SAY, IS EVEN BETTER – –
BUT IT’S BEST TO INSURE THAT YOU MAKE YOUR KNEES STRONG AND SUPPLE!
Indeed, Dad Max also has some mental EXERCISE…
CHESS or MAHJONG — it’s nice to THEORIZE;
One’s moves and one’s “PONGS”!
It’s truly good, just like singing SONGS.
And as Dad Max would advise—STAY ALWAYS CONNECTED!
Either in FACEBOOK, TWITTER or LINKEDIN—
For what good is LIFE; if you are isolated…
Connecting with GOD is the best choice INDEED!
Very inspiring Wally Idol.. But I am not into sleep mania.. I retire to bed late and wake up early… As a senior, your sleep of 5-6 hours will do.. I clean up the kitchen, scrub the dirty floor and at 8:00 I have to take care of my 2 grandkids here, feed, bath and lullabied them to sleep, clean them up after every bathroom visit until their mom picks them up at 4:00 p.m. Like Daddy Max, I ate a lot of bananas, vegetables and other fruits, do the treadmill and walk up and down the 14 steps stair following 2 rambunctious toddlers. I’m online only when they are asleep and when it is my day off. On my off days I also walked to the malls from the house — but when I drove to the malls during cold days, I do a lot of walking inside the mall and a lot of “window” shopping too. Yes, work is fun when you enjoy what you were doing. They also said work ceases to be work and it becomes a pleasure when you enjoy it. I had been doing the stuff you were doing for 20 years until it had ceased to become enjoyable. I admire your tenacity and resilience in enjoying the job I used to enjoy. But that calling has ended when I ceased to enjoy it and later find my solace in simple things as “babysitting” and remote “farming.” I thanked God for giving me the capacity to reinvent myself– as if I heard Him whisper that He isn’t done with me yet.
Yes, I would love to see Daddy Max in person and see that grin in his venerable face, to remind me of that distinctive and naughty smile in yours in1974 in Prof. Ambion’s class. And I’m sure, my wife Gloria would be as ecstatic to meet the indefatigable Daddy Max and his family.
You were the inspiration Padi…an idolized friend indeed!