Lessons learned in my (almost) 78 years

More Than A Day Away By Mike Steely

The day after Christmas I will turn 78 years old.

I’ve often said that in my head I’m 35 and sometimes that thought can cause problems for my much older body. I am grateful for my many years, my old friends, my wife, my sons and my grandchildren. I’m grateful for a comfortable home although it requires constant upkeep. I’m thankful that I’m still able to work, think and report the news. I’m thankful for The Knoxville Focus and the opportunity it has given me to get out into the community and find news and feature stories.

I am thankful for my service with the U. S. Coast Guard, which kicked off my career and I’m thankful to the Veterans Administration for health care. I’m thankful for the recognition over the years for my efforts in and out of print media.

I am thankful for the many positions I’ve held that permitted me to move about the country and learn how other people live, the history of our region, and the many people I have come to know in Knoxville in my 28 years of living here.

I am glad to be mostly healthy and retain most of my mental capacity. I’m thankful for all the memories that roll around in my head and glad to share some of those with readers now and then.

And I’m thankful for being an East Tennessee native. No matter where my family and I moved in this nation, I was often drawn back to our region because of its rich history, its beauty, and its diversity.

Over those years there are several things I’ve learned.

Here are a few:

– If it works, don’t fix it

– Leave good-enough alone

– Moving or traveling around the country opens your mind

– Family should always come first

– God has various names, depending on your language

– Truth is not a matter of opinion

– Reporting is a challenge to get things correct

– Don’t judge other people

– Aging doesn’t bring wisdom

– If you don’t know history you are bound to repeat it

– Friends are still friends even if they disagree

– Things change, try to live with it

– Do it yourself if you can, then get an expert

– Life goes on for others after you pass on

– How you treated others is all that will be remembered

– Make the best of any situation

– Serve our nation in the military, public service or simply by voting.

– It is hard to be a boss, sympathize with them

– Politicians are as faulted as anyone else

– Most politics is local

– Technology has actually complicated our lives

– Hold your tongue, don’t speak too much

– Your children are your children no matter how old they are

– Do unto others as you do to yourself.