Edgy comedian George Carlin, known for his biting, anti-establishment humor, died Monday of a heart attack at the Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica on Sunday, at 6:00 p.m. He was 71. He may be best remembered for his famous routing called "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television," which became part of a lawsuit that went all the way to the Supreme Court. But he left this sound advice that we all would do well to remember.------------------------
How to Stay Young
by George Carlin
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay him.
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. “An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them at every opportunity.
And always remember:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments
that take our breath away.
How to Stay Young
by George Carlin
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay him.
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. “An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them at every opportunity.
And always remember:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments
that take our breath away.
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9 comments:
Love his companion piece as well:
George Carlin's Views on Aging
Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.
"How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key
You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead. "How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . . . you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!
But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There 's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?
You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50
and your dreams are gone.
But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!
So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.
You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by -day thing; you HIT Wednesday!
You get into your 80s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; "I Was JUST 92."
Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!" May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!
CAN'T YOU JUST HEAR THOSE LOW BREATHY TONES, THE SOUND EFFECTS AND GREAT DELIVERY?
anon: Great stuff...You know: I've been reflecting on just how smart Carlin, Lenny Bruce, and Richard Pryor were. I was smiling at the thought that these guys were smarter than a lot of U.S. presidents. And of course you could also include in the smart category Mort Sahl and Chris Rock, I think. Thanks for the companion piece.
Anon: Thanks for sharing that aging piece. Carlin was brilliant.
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."
Right fucking on!
"What is missing from us is that innocent sense of wonder."
(paraphrased from a poem by Naomi Helena Quinonez)
Hey there MacDaddy!
This tribute is wonderful....
It is just so sad to bid farewell to a hilarious and genius artist...
{sigh}
Lisa
Great post daddy. I would always look forward to his specials when they were on. He is such a huge lost. He was brilliant and so much fun.
undercover: You're spot on. Carlin's genius shines through.
sagacious, Lisa, sdg: It's sad he's gone, but he made a difference, something we all hope someone will say about us when our time on earth is done. Blessings.
He will be sorely missed.
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