October 16, 2015 (Friday)
Someone posted on facebook an old clip of Willie Nelson. He sang several of his songs, all of which are familiar. His appearance, however, was not. Clean-shaven, hair perfectly groomed, nice suit and tie, polished shoes, and all-round clean cut young man on his way up in the entertainment business. He went on from success to success, changing his appearance drastically.
After seeing that clip, I googled “celebreties young and old,” and came up with pages of duel pics of celebrities. Side by side were pictures of them as young people and mature people. Sometimes there was a great similarity. Others, however, changed remarkably with time.
Every time I look in the mirror these days, I wonder who that guy is who is looking back at me. My mind goes back to my early teens when every boy used “Brilliantine” on his hair and made sure it had that greasy look. Most boys my age had curly or wavy hair, unless they chose the “burr” haircut, which had been very popular in our pre-teen years.
There’s quite a difference between a 13-year-old boy and an 84-year-old man. At least in appearance.
Solomon noticed many differences between young and old. He wrote about it in Ecclesiastes 12 (The Message Translation):
12 1-2 Honor and enjoy your Creator while you’re still young,
Before the years take their toll and your vigor wanes,
Before your vision dims and the world blurs
And the winter years keep you close to the fire.
3-5
In old age, your body no longer serves you so well.
Muscles slacken, grip weakens, joints stiffen.
The shades are pulled down on the world.
You can’t come and go at will. Things grind to a halt.
The hum of the household fades away.
You are wakened now by bird-song.
Hikes to the mountains are a thing of the past.
Even a stroll down the road has its terrors.
Your hair turns apple-blossom white,
Adorning a fragile and impotent matchstick body.
Yes, you’re well on your way to eternal rest,
While your friends make plans for your funeral.
6-7
Life, lovely while it lasts, is soon over.
Life as we know it, precious and beautiful, ends.
The body is put back in the same ground it came from.
The spirit returns to God, who first breathed it.
A dear lady in her 90s said to me one day, “I always knew I was going to get old. I just didn’t know it would happen so soon.” She expressed the feelings of many people when she said that.