You know your getting older when….

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Today’s Blog Post

You know your getting older when….

“You know your getting older when….” is a statement that all good Senior’s Stories begin with.

Last evening in Mississauga my wife and I celebrated with a number of our friends from our very old days! We gathered in the International Office for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC) (– the church organization that I have been an Ordained Minister with for all my years of working).

We came together to celebrate the Church Ministries Department that we once worked in. At one time I was the Leader of a number of departments in this organization. All the Departments that I worked with were dealing with Children and Youth. That was so long ago.

Last evening the various Staff Members that served in the Church Ministries from 1980 to now joined together.

My first “You know your getting older when…” comes when I was the oldest person there that has worked in that department… or maybe I should say I was the person that goes back the longest!

What a great night it was!

But it was not the only reason that we were there. The main reason has been hidden until just days before the Celebration. Our main focus was to honour and celebrate the Leadership of Rev. Bill Griffin, the man who served as the Executive Director of the Church Ministry Department. I was one of the first to serve under Bill, from September 1980 until December 1980, the months just before we left for Hong Kong and the new adventure in our lives in the Missions Department. I had been there for four years, Bill was just elected to his position and I was in transition.

“You know your getting older when….” when all the stories that they tell from way back then – you remember. And all the young guys and gals of today have never heard.

“You know your getting older when….” when most of the men in the room that you once worked alongside, are all grey haired or have very little hair!

“You know your getting older when….” when the old stories that they tell are telling were fished out of the archives and documents of the old days – you wrote!

I could go on and on with the “You know your getting older when….” stories.

But if I back up to the hours before the Celebration… we drove from Peterborough to Mississauga – according to the GPS it should take a mere One Hour and Forty Five minutes! Oh boy!

In my younger years I used to travel this kind of traffic all the time. We had lived in Oakville and I traveled this kind of distance each day… back and forth. Now I live in very quiet Peterborough and the commute I do is from the Kitchen Table to my Garage… and maybe for a coffee shop to meet my clients… at McDonalds three blocks away….maybe….

Yesterday the blockage of traffic began just as we were leaving Scarborough and heading into Toronto. That means, for people that have never lived here, a simple street or road name, where you pass from one City to the next. There is no difference – just a name.

For this part of my story it was about Victoria Park, along the 401 Highway, where the overhead warning signs stated that the Express Lanes and Collectors were traveling very slowly. As we came over the high point near the Don Valley Parkway – you could see cars lined up end on end – and hardly moving.

Now this is not just on lane – but rather six lanes across with cars moving at a snail’s pace in the West Bound Lanes.

For the next hour we crawled slowly with the rest of the frustrated drivers… until we reached the area along the 401 Hwy that is west of the Yorkdale Shopping Centre. For locals, that is near where you decide to exit for the Pearson International Airport – miles away from Scarborough… miles and miles and miles…

I noticed many miles back that there was hardly any traffic in the East Bound lanes across the median. Something up ahead was causing a huge problem for everyone on the East Bound Lanes!

Coming over a hill we saw the smoke billowing from the fire inside! Everyone in our lanes were “Rubber Necking” as they drove by.

As we slowly drove by I started shooting some photos.

Later looking at the photos that you see below… the Firemen that were standing on the Highway… had rolled out their hoses… but there was no water yet. Their Fire Truck had to go to the next exit on the West Bound Lane… turn around and come back – through six lanes of solidly blocked traffic. There the Firemen were with flat and empty hoses waiting.

I used to drive in this kind of nonsense – all the time! And I used to enjoy it – kind of!!!

“You know your getting older when….” when you don’t enjoy it anymore!

We cleared the area finally and then proceeded to the Huge Mall in the heart of Mississauga. It is located near the Mississauga City Centre – the City Hall for this gigantic growing area.

It was about that time, just before we had to exit the Highway, that I saw the weirdest building structures I have seen in Canada so far.

It was then that another “You know your getting older when….” happened for me. Can you believe it? They built a crooked building on purpose!

My house is crooked in many ways. I have found that out as I am doing the renovations on it. BUT these building are positively weird! What a Tourist Attraction!

You can look at the photos and see for yourself! WOW! Too weird!

Today I rose slowly… very slowly. For that reason alone… “You know your getting older when… it is getting harder and harder to get out of bed… and the thoughts of yesterday make you smile again and again!” Oh boy… I am older!

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/