I was pondering the time that has gone by in my life, I’m 64 and the time that means I have left. Obviously the former is greater than the latter unless I discover the cure for reincarnation and even that would mean I might be an ant or an eagle and not Rocking Rod.

So what can one say or remember so that my later years are not spent in a sense of sedentary retirement? I recently enjoyed a list called Timeless Lessons Life teaches, here they are:

1. Take everything you’ve ever learned – all the crazy experiences and lessons – and place it all in a box labelled “Thank You”.
2. In life, you usually get what you ask for, but it rarely comes in the package you think it’s supposed to come in.
3. The past can’t hurt you anymore – unless you let it.
4. Maturity is not when we start speaking about big things, it’s when we start understanding the small things.
5. Life is like a rainbow, you need both the sun and the rain to make its colours appear.
6. Never let one bad day make you feel like you had a bad life.
7. When you find yourself cocooned in isolation and despair and cannot find your way out of the darkness, remember that this is similar to the place where caterpillars go to grow their wings.
8. Live in such a way that if someone decided to speak badly of you, no one would believe it.
9. The only time you should look back is to see how far you’ve come.
10. It’s your road and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.
11. The best way to gain self-confidence is to do what you are afraid to do.
12. The mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work unless it’s open.
13. Things change, but the sun always rises the next day. The bad news: nothing is permanent. The good news: nothing is permanent.

It also made me think of that famous line, Play it again Sam, Play as Time Goes By. What do members of society ruminate on as they get older, here are some of my favourites:

1. I love the saying, It’s not the peak experience that affects your life the most, its what you go and do after them on a day to day basis that makes the difference.

2. Makes me think of the saying time stood still as our eyes met across the room, did it really?: My Heart Will Go On.

3. Love to give the words of Love, you never know how long you have got with each particular person.

4. This quote is the right colour and theme for this song: As Time Goes By.

5. Nike!!

6. With age, comes logic, or so they say: Under Pressure.

7. Henry Austin Dobson (18 January 1840 – 2 September 1921)  was an English poet and essayist. In 2005 the Industrial/Nu-metal band, Industrial Frost, used the words of a Dobson poem called “Before Sedan” as the lyrics of a song of the same name.

8. Different ways to think about time: Only Time.

9. Boom!!!

10. Not even our remains, they change as time goes by: Some People Change.

11. Exit, Door Right.

12. Yes, both types – The Shadow and the Light: This is Me.

13. And it was, amazing!!

14. If we get it right, we spend our time as both the teacher and the student: Paradise.

15. And for the final lesson, three salient points.

So here’s to the sun and the rain that makes up our lives day to day as time goes by, enjoy the ride.

Today’s playlist contains a few tunes from the movies – we begin with Celine Dion, the classic time song by Sam, Queen and Enya from the British scene then from the States, Montgomery Gentry, The Greatest Showman Cast and finishing with George Ezra: Nurture your mind with Great Thought.

It took me 59 years to come up with my life ethos and purpose of Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included. I would recommend finding it a little earlier. Until we speak again my dear friends.