Once upon a time, entering your senior years was the beginning of the end, but today, it's just the beginning of the next chapter!
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Being "old" is a relative term based on how old you are, how old you feel, and how other people see you; in our case, young people may think of Red as a warm and fuzzy "older" mom but when they think of Black probably wonder, "What's she up to now?!"
Red's 59th birthday is days away, and she's not sure if that means she has only a year before "officially" becoming a senior citizen. (She doesn't count that AARP starts providing "senior" benefits to members as young as 50.) But lately has been thinking of the expression, "Youth is wasted on the young." Something that she never really understood when she was, well, young, but has started to appreciate more and more with each passing year,
What do they say about 60 being the new 40? Well, I agree. And the stereotypes I had of old people when I was young have totally changed, except on those nights when I'm exhausted and wonder who that "old lady" is in the mirror. Growing up, I never equated being 55+ (why does that sound so much younger than "almost 60") with being a very busy mom and being in a business partnership with my sister. But here I am. And loving it!
A five-year age difference between us seemed significant when we were kids, but the older we get, the smaller it seems. Although, sometimes Red still likes to point out that she's the younger sister. Of course, Black quickly responds with, "Yes, I am older, but I am also wiser." And, on the surface, that might seem sarcastic, but she sees it pragmatically,
Sometimes older is better. Like fine wine, vintage cars, and classic movies. And, lifelong learners. Because with age comes experience (and ideally, wisdom), and the older we get, the more we have to share. But, also the more we can learn from younger people. A few years ago, I learned about the Encore organization, which sees older people as role models and mentors, and provides opportunities for multiple generations to work together, learn from each other, and create a better future for everyone.
Today's National Senior Citizens Day, so whether you're a senior citizen and/or want to show your appreciation for the "seniors" in your life, please make sure to celebrate. And, for the occasion, we found these great quotes about getting older.
P.S. – We'll be taking a one-week summer hiatus beginning Monday, August 23, but please scroll down our homepage as we'll be featuring carefully selected "reruns"!
Red started to write warm and fuzzy Christmas and holiday greetings, but Black said some things are worth repeating … like our simple Christmas post from 2023 (check out the movie clip) …
No matter what holiday you may celebrate, Red can’t help but quote a line from one of her favorite Christmas songs, “Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Let your heart be light. From now on, your troubles will be out of sight.”
And Black can’t help but point out that the song wasn’t introduced in a Christmas movie but in the movie "Meet Me In St. Louis."
Wishing you a merry everything and a happy always!
Sadie Hawkins Day … some may find it sexist. Some may find it inspirational. Others just nostalgic. Our take on it hasn’t changed since we first issued this post. But if you asked Black for a car analogy (she always has one), she’d tell you it’s about taking the wheel and leading the way …
Comic strip or reality show: A group of bachelors participates in a foot race, and whoever's caught by the single woman in the race will become her husband.
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: We may be sisters, but except for growing up with the same parents in the same house in New York, that may be where the similarities end; especially in terms of dating "protocol" as Black never thought twice about asking boys (and later men) out on a date, while Red never gave it any thought, accepting the convention that boys did the asking. (She did make an exception for her senior prom but was shocked when he accepted.)
When it comes to Sadie Hawkins Day, we both agree it's a quirky holiday that makes it "acceptable" for girls to ask out boys, but of course, we have very different perspectives. For Red, it conjures up images of Sadie Hawkins Day dances, although she never went to one and doesn't even remember how she knows about them. While Black's fascinated by how it all began with the cartoonist Al Capp and his popular "Lil' Abner" comic strip and quickly became a pop culture phenomenon.
Now, over 80 years later, if you were to analyze Sadie Hawkins Day, you would probably find it outdated and sexist. But why not just laugh at its silly beginnings and enjoy the day. The funny thing is Red still thinks men should ask out women, while Black always believed that every day's Sadie Hawkins Day.“A Dictator & His Mistress” might have been a catchier title, but that doesn’t change the fact that the combination of history and food makes this one of Red’s favorite Banter Bites. While Black loves the leadership lessons (from a dictator?!). Curious? If so, read on …
Quick! If someone says "Julius Caesar," what comes to mind?
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Almost everyone has heard of Julius Caesar, but how many of us really know much about him, or at least that's what Red starts to wonder when she receives the usual flippant, but still accurate, reply from her sister, after feeling very proud that she knew that July was named after the famous Roman.
Which is what got Red to realize, much to her surprise (shock, if truth be told), that even as a straight-A student with a love of history, that when it came to Julius Caesar, a famous historical figure and possibly one of the greatest generals and statesmen of all time, she couldn't tell you dates or battles or anything "historical" associated with him.
Even as a theater major in college, she never read Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," although she knew just enough about the play to know that it was where the fortune teller warned Caesar to "Beware the Ides of March." Instead, her knowledge of Caesar came from her love of movies.
My first, and probably my most enduring, memory is of a brilliant general who not only commanded armies as he conquered lands far from home but was a great statesman who was also involved with one of the world's most beautiful women. And while he was Julius Caesar and the woman was Cleopatra, to me, they'll always be Rex Harrison and Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra, a movie almost as controversial as the general himself.
And Black? Besides knowing that Caesar Salad was invented by a different Caesar, she appreciates Julius Caesar's leadership skills and way with words,
There is much we can learn about leadership from Julius Caesar, whether on the battlefield, in politics, or in business (start small, take risks, communicate well), including what ultimately led to his death (always consider worst-case scenarios, never get complacent or arrogant). Many of his quotes speak (pun intended) to his powerful way with words, and the ability to not only deliver a message but to inspire (and story tell), with my favorite being, "I came, I saw, I conquered."
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