Twilight Years

Daily writing prompt

How would you describe yourself to someone?

So, how would I describe myself to someone? It depends on the circumstances. Over the last few years, my dominant thought is that I’m getting old. I’m in my sixties now. I look young for my age, and in some respects I feel much younger, but I definitely see myself as entering a new category. I think I started feeling a bit like this when I reached 30 too 😀. Even 20! – I remember being at a U2 concert in the City Hall, Cork in January 1982. I hadn’t seen them for a couple of years. I looked around and saw lots of younger kids and I asked myself “What am I doing here”? 😀 Well, Bob Dylan is 84 now, and he’s playing in Killarney in November. So maybe I have plenty of time yet.

I remember a friend of mine saying, if you trust in Jesus, you’ll live forever in heaven, so why should you worry about getting old. Very true. But I suppose, you probably still need to psychologically adjust to it all. The big thing is that you feel that people look at you differently. But these are your golden years or your twilight years.

What else? I think I’m becoming more introverted. I’m reflecting on my life a little more, and I enjoy that. Maybe I’m becoming a dull person.

Spiritually, I would describe myself as an evangelical Christian, which is very much what this blog is all about. I only discovered the Daily Prompt after starting the blog. First, I ignored it, but then I started finding it fun. Even though I’m an introvert, I do enjoy interacting with others to some extent. And I do enjoy seeing “likes” from so many countries. I realize that few might get the chance to read my blog in any depth. But years ago, I used to distribute Christian leaflets. I would think that few people read them, and perhaps they had little impact on most people who did read them. However, you might get some (like me when I was searching) who were very pleased to hear the gospel message. This is what the apostle Paul must have felt when he said:

Romans 1:16
¹⁶For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

I so admire people like the Apostle Paul, who went into the world and spread the message. Not everyone is like him, but we can all spread the word in our own way.

1 Peter 3:15
¹⁵But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

I always like to end with a few songs.

Here’s a Bob Dylan song I first heard at Earl’s Court, London in June 1981. We went over from Cork on a B+I line ship. I remember chatting to a friend on the ship on the way home. He was about 10 years older than me and had been a fan of Bob Dylan in the 1960s. He mentioned that Dylan was now in the twilight of his career 😀. And that’s 44 years ago.