Goodbye or 'til Then?

I guess I've always struggled with the concept of saying goodbye.  I don't know, just something about the finality of saying, "Goodbye."  Can someone truly be okay with the knowledge and accepting the fact that you may never them again?  Maybe some can, but personally, I have always had a hard time with it. Whether you say it to Lovers, Friends, Family or whomever comes across your path, I think it is genuinely hard no matter who you are.  Some goodbyes are happy, others are not.  Some end friendly, others more bitterly.  I can recall 2 times in the past where I experienced both sides of the spectrum.  

One was years ago saying goodbye to a dear friend whom I loved very deeply.  As we walked together through the airport (that's how long ago it was) it was a tearful separation.  And the title of this post was actually from her.  "It's not 'Goodbye' but 'Til then.'"  And that phrase and concept has always stuck with me.  Part of it could be the fact that in my mind, the definition of Goodbye is the final meeting with nothing left to salvage and the finality as I mentioned.  

Another way to look at it is the death of a family member.  Until we meet again, there will never be a time to where you can tangibly connect with the person.  When it's done, that's it.

As opposed to 'Til Then which implies another meeting; another chance; another time.

The second was not too long ago.  A close friend of mine was entering a new phase in her life and that part did not include me.  We had stayed close despite the odds and had gone through much together.  She was going to start a new life with someone new and the day that we both knew would come finally did.  As we talked, I reflected back on our friendship, I thought of how funny it had been and after years, the trip had finally ended and it was my time to bow out.  Now despite our long relationship, it was not a bitter goodbye; not even bittersweet.  Rather, it was a refreshingly happy goodbye because I knew what lay in store for her future and my excitement for her to begin this new chapter of her life was prevalent in our talk.

But, ultimately, both of these cases ended in a Goodbye and to say that I was happy in both cases would be a lie.  Call me an idealist but I heard long ago that every person who enters your life is like a shooting star across the sky of your life.  Each with impact you and leave a little piece of them with you to carry on.  I would like to believe that is more common than the simple cut off of past and experiences.  

The thing to I leave you with today is:

Why say goodbye if you don't have to.  

-Keep the good people in your life for a positive influence and say Goodbye to the people who don't benefit you to be a better person.

Are We Growing Up or Just Growing Old?

I pose this question to you to ask this second: What does growing up mean? I think we hear this a lot as kids and later in life.  In fact, I think we hear this all throughout our lives and yet, what does it mean?

Does growing up mean:

• Getting old and boring doomed with nothing but death at the end of the road?
• Becoming more mature? Whatever "mature" means.
• Conforming to the thoughts and ideas of others for acceptance?

Now I'm sure it's a mixture of many things but I often hear, "If only things were like they used to be."

Like what??

I think overall that most advances in technology, medical science and culture as a whole are a good thing.  But I do have to warrant that line of thinking with some things that used to be better.

1. Rock Bands.  Are they really any rock bands out there now that were as heavy as their predecessors?  I mean, Keith Moon of The Who used to take horse tranquilizers before shows just to calm him down. Horse tranquilizers?!? Now THAT is Rock n Roll!
2. Chivalry.  Now this is something I do feel is dead sadly.  Where most guys used to open doors for their dates, now it's just unlocking the doors via the remote...classy.
3. Morals.  This ties a little into number 2 because morals and chivalry are almost one in the same.  But not just to ladies and likewise gentlemen.  What about the lack of common courtesy nowadays?  I find it mind boggling that both genders have just a total lack of morals and respect for their peers, strangers and family too.

Some things do get better with age: wine, cheese and a few others but overall, I think the core difference in "Growing Up" and "Getting Old" is slight.  How you view things in perspective is just as important in developing wisdom as age is.  After all, Age is just a number right? ; )