National Letter To An Elder Day
Sending Love + Respect To All My Older Brothers + Sisters
Growing up, the first rule I learned was “Respect Your Elders.”
My dad drilled this rule into my thick skull early and often. It didn’t matter if they were 80 years or 8 seconds older, respect was to be extended first and foremost. While he didn’t limit this respect requirement to just older folk, my dad did enforce the “elders” part like a military drill sergeant.
I'm not sure why he felt the need to remind me so often, but I mostly let him do his thing without questioning him too much. I’ve always loved and gravitated toward my older brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, father figures, and surrogate mothers like a moth to a flame.
As an only child, I turned to those older than me to help me navigate the world. In my experience, they know the ropes and their words of wisdom help me make sense of a sometimes nonsensical world. And, let’s be real, older folk are way better at pointing out and laughing at stuff. And being there when there’s nothing to laugh at.
Respecting my elders isn’t just about the age difference; it’s about the experiences and lessons I’ve learned thanks to those who’ve come before me and paved a path for themselves and the rest of us. We all stand on the shoulders of giants.
Today is National Letter to an Elder Day. Whether you’re family, follower, and/or friend; near, dear, and/or queer; patron, supporter, and/or subscriber, I would like to send you and yours much love and light today.
I wouldn’t be the often messy work-in-progress without my “elders” and their kind companionship and sage counsel. I wouldn’t be half the man I am today without them.
Here's to all my older family members, whether related by blood or by bond: CHEERS! I send my gratitude, my love, and my respect. You're the foundation of my world, and I’m thankful for every laugh, every piece of advice, and every moment shared.
Happy National Letter to an Elder Day!
Clint 🌈✌️
P.S. A special shoutout to a few of my favorite “strangers-on-the-internet” older brothers:
, , , , , , , , , , , and all the “elders” that I’m currently too old to remember. Memory…all alone in the moonlight! 😎ON THIS DAY = FEBRUARY 26
BIRTHDAYS
1564 = Christopher Marlowe = English writer 🌈
1802 = Victor Hugo = French writer
1829 = Levi Strauss = German-American Levi Strauss & Co. founder
1846 = Buffalo Bill = American soldier and showman
1852 = John Harvey Kellogg = American corn flakes co-creator
1868 = Mwanga Ii Of Buganda = King of Bugandak 🌈
1877 = Rudolph Dirks = German-American illustrator and cartoonist
1879 = Mabel Dodge Luhan = American heiress 🌈
1887 = William Frawley = American actor and vaudevillian
1908 = Tex Avery = American animator, producer, and voice actor
1921 = Betty Hutton = American actor and singer
1928 = Fats Domino = American singer-songwriter
1932 = Johnny Cash = American singer-songwriter
1935 = Jane Wagner = American writer, director, and producer 🌈
1943 = Bill Duke = American actor and director
1943 = Dante Ferretti = Italian art director and costume designer
1953 = Michael Bolton = American singer-songwriter
1971 = Erykah Badu = American singer-songwriter
1974 = Jenna Wolfe = Jamaican-American anchor 🌈
1979 = Corinne Bailey Rae = English singer-songwriter
1982 = Nate Ruess = American singer-songwriter
EVENTS
1797 = Bank of England issues first £1 note.
1917 = First jazz records are recorded: "Dixie Jazz Band One Step" and "Livery Stable Blues" by the Original Dixieland Jass Band for the Victor Talking Machine Company in NYC.
2008 = The New York Philharmonic performs in Pyongyang, North Korea; this is the first event of its kind to take place in North Korea.
2013 = Marco McMillian, businessman, candidate for mayor of Clarksdale, MS, and “the first openly gay political candidate in Mississippi”, is murdered.
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PORTRAIT + QUOTE OF THE DAY
“You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.”
Johnny Cash
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Thank you for including me in your list of elders and sages. I will be 78 in May but in my mind I still see myself as the beautiful youth I was in my 20s and 30s. I have never been physically active but my mind has been powerful. I don't think we should waste time on regrets (mine are probably about the things I never had the courage to do or I those I could have done much earlier in life). My body is now less agile and strong. My intellect less keen, less flexible, less patient but my wisdom is based on experience and gut feelings. I choose to love everyone, even if I don't like something about a person. Wisdom doesn't come with age - a fool simply becomes an old fool.
It's hard to think of myself as an "elder" but I guess at 62 I might qualify at this point. Thanks for the shout out!