Carpe Diem! Make Every Day Count

Although yesterday’s fun and frolic of As Young As You Feel Day is past, its message via Horace’s carpe diem, to seize the day, should be a 39er’s daily mantra.

Life is tough – no doubt about it. As a child, if I dared whine, “But … But … it isn’t fair!” My mother’s favorite response was, “Nobody ever said life is fair.”

While true, as humans with unknown life spans, it is our self-responsibility to make the most of every day, at every age. So … let’s get on with it!

At 39AHC, we want to explore and enjoy every day.

Squirrel outside my window ...

With that in mind, look around you. What do you see? As your eyes scan above, around, and down, what is the ONE thing that grabs your attention over all else?

Enjoy your thoughts … enjoy your day!

Today - As Young as You Feel Day!

Yes, today really is “As Young As You Feel Day” at the 39 and Holding Club and around the world!

Let’s join the festivities – c’mon along …

Although you can revel in hundreds of quirky, cute, and meaningful special days on Brownielocks, my favorite holiday and commemorative list site, this one is especially noteworthy for us 39ers.

As Young As You Feel Day personifies our approach to aging. When it comes down to life’s bottom line, it’s all about ATT-I-TUDE! Thinking in terms of dog years might help. Heehee

“Carpe Diem” — seize the day (dictionary: make the most of present opportunities) – is an oft-repeated and revered phrase from that ol’ Roman dude, Horace, who included it in his third book of The Odes (approx. 23BC).

Wikipedia has a wonderful translation of his original Latin prose about the social life of Rome in the age of Augustus:

dum loquimur, fugerit invida aetas: carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero.

English: While we speak, envious time will have {already} fled: seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the next day.

So let’s do that! Stop whatever you’re doing and enter the 39AHC contest for a copy of the 1951 movie, “As Young As You Feel” – one of Marilyn Monroe’s first parts (Harriet), as a busty blonde secretary. (No they were not called Administrative Assistants way back when.)

Hurry! Contest ends tonight …

As Young As You Feel - vintage movie fun

Win a DVD of 1951’s comedy As Young As You Feel!

Why would you want to? Because Norma Jean Mortenson – aka Marilyn Monroe – boosted her burgeoning career with this little-known film. And Sunday is "As Young As You Feel Day"!

Between Tuesday, March 17^th (feeling lucky?) and 9:00p/PDT Sunday, March 22^nd (As Young as You Feel Day!), look for THREE tweets on @39HoldingClub and Facebook with questions pertaining to your philosophy about age.

You must respond specifically to ONE of my tweets (they’ll be listed in my Favorites so you can access them any time) – which obviously means your words of wisdom are restricted to 140 characters or less. You can also respond on Facebook – same character rule applies. (Yes, I’ll check it!)

Enter as often as you like. Please be inspiring, kind and witty … retweets await the best and posted on this site … blasphemous tweets will be deleted (and if you follow me – unfollowing follows!). This is all in FUN, but a flippant reply most likely won't be victorious.

There are no right or wrong answers – only your ATT-I-TUDE and wit will be considered. One winner – will receive notification on Tue., March 24^th in a PM, and in a congratulatory tweet and Facebook post. Spread the word, reply to the tweet(s), and good luck!

[P.S.: No, I can’t be bought – and I’m excruciatingly NOT partial to my friends’ and relatives’ responses, however much I love them. :-) ]

Never heard of the movie? Let me introduce you …

*DVD of As Young as You Feel is new and sealed. Estimated $17.00 value. Shipped free domestically only. Enjoy!

Marching through the Ides of March

It’s so tempting to blindly follow the calendar to extoll the virtues of another month … January – New Year’s Day; February – Valentine’s Day; March – St. Patrick’s Day …

Not to slight my Irish heritage, but I like to shake things up and there are other important, yet lesser known commemorations in March: First Day of Spring (20^th) and Palm Sunday (29^th) of course, but let’s not omit …

Yummy! Oreo Cookie Day (6^th); 39AHC’s most special As Young as You Feel Day (22^nd); and every single-family dwelling resident’s fave (this one’s for you, Ron!), Weed Appreciation Day (28^th). *Yes, these are real and “official” celebrated days.

All right, Club 39ers, now that we’ve set the scene, let’s get on with March birthdays!

February ~ Cupid, draw back your bow-oh-oh!

Hearts and harps. Sweets and suites. Who can resist Valentine’sDay? It strives to define the month of February. At least in the eyes of retailers.

And though there are other noble reasons to commemorate February along with Cupid – World Radio Day (13^th), Presidents’ Day (16^th), and Marijuana Awareness Month – for the 39 and Holding Club, February 14^th is also “Grandpa” Jack Benny Day!

Jack Benny was a deadpan funnyman who segued from family night around the console radio to family night in front of the TV, with delightful dry humor and self-deprecating one-liners. 

A Valentine baby, Mr. Benny (February 14, 1894-1974) is the sole reason the 39 and Holding Club exists. Having celebrated his 39^th birthday on-air with fans, he looked forward to it again the following year.

 

He leaned toward the microphone to declare his 40^th birthday … and couldn’t do it. “There’s nothing funny about 40,” he said, and declared instead, “I’m 39 and Holding!”