I know that I’m going to meet an old person one of these days. It will be down the road in 10, 20 or 30 years. He’ll be waiting there for me; I’m catching up with him all the time.
What kind of person do you suppose I’m likely to meet? That’s a significant question; it seems. He may be an enthusiastic person who has grown old gracefully and is surrounded by a host of clients, associates, and friends who regard him as successful because of what his life and its work have meant to them and others. On the other hand, he may be a bitter, unsuccessful, even cynical old buzzard without a good thought about anything or anybody.
The kind of person I meet depends entirely on me. That old person will be me. He will be the composite of everything I do, say and think today and tomorrow. His mind will in a mold that has been fixed by my attitudes and actions. Every thought — positive or negative — goes into his makeup. That person will be what I make him — nothing more, nothing less. It’s all up to me, and I’ll have no one else to credit or blame. Every day and every way, I’m becoming more and more like that old person. That’s amazing, yet true. I’m getting to look like that person, think like that person, and talk like that person.
A good point for me to remember is that things don’t always tell immediately, but they do show up sooner than we think. The little things, like attitudes, beliefs, commitments, ambitions, dedication, and desire, are so unimportant now, but they all add up inside, where I can’t see them, crystallizing in my mind and heart. One day, they will harden into that old person, and nothing will be able to soften or change them.
It’s quite apparent to me that the time to take care of this old person is now — today, this week, this month, this year. I need to check on him carefully. I would be smart to work that person over while he still is plastic, yet in a formative position. One day soon, it will be too late to make any changes. Hardness will set in, the character will have crystallized, and that will be the last chance for him and me.
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