77 
Mountain Views News Saturday, March 7, 2026 
77 
Mountain Views News Saturday, March 7, 2026 
I'm rather new to this getting-
old stage of life. Up to 
now, all my life has been 
young and innocent. Unfortunately, 
those days have 
passed. 

It's hard to get adjusted to old age because I've 
never experienced it before. I remember when I 
was young, all of the fun that I had. But now, I'm 
at a new stage of life, and I don't know exactly 
what I should be doing. 

Somebody should write a book sometime titled,
"How To Get Old in 10 Easy Steps." I'll buy that 
book in a second. 

I've been trying to find the good part of getting 
old, and I am still looking. 

The other day The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage 
said to me, "You are starting to act like 
some old goat." 

When she said that, something clicked upstairs. 
I don't want to act like some old goat; I want to 
be one. It got me thinking, as I've never thought 
before. How can I use this "old goat stage?" The 
more I get to know it, the more I'll be able to use 
it for my benefit. Why not use what you have at 
hand for your own good? 

I'm not sure what an old goat is, but I'm going to 
work on it and make sure I am the best version of 
an old goat I can be. 

Every time The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage 
said that I was acting like an old goat, I 
stopped and thought about what she was talking 
about. How can I improve that in my life? 

I asked her why she thought I was acting like an 
old goat. She said, "Well, for one you're always 
remembering things according to what you want 
to remember. You gotta remember the truth." 

As I understand it, as an old goat, I have "selective 
memory." I never thought of that before. 
How can I use "selective memory" to make me a 
better old goat? 

I've been working on this for a while, and every 
time I tell a story from the past, I make sure I 
am selecting that memory the way I want. Some 
story in my past, nobody knows all of the details. 
So, as a professional old goat, I can choose which 
memories I want to share with people. How do 
they know if it's right or wrong? 

This has made my storytelling much more enjoyable. 
I sure have been having fun with all of these 
"selective memory" moments. One good thing is 
that I don't have to remember these to tell the 
same story over and over again as a professional 
old goat. I can make up things selectively as I go 
along. Oh, how I love being an old goat. 

As we were coming home from a meeting with 
some of our friends The Gracious Mistress of the 
Parsonage looked at me and said, "That story you 

OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder 

JUST HONING MY OLD GOAT SKILLS 

told about when you were in high school was that 
the same story you told three weeks ago?" 

Oh boy. I didn't even remember the story I told 
three weeks ago, so I just said to her, "No, that 
was a different story." 

She just looked at me with one of her smiles, and 
I realized she did not believe me then. 

Now, the next step in honing my old goat skills 
is remembering the stories that I tell. The Gracious 
Mistress of the Parsonage cannot forget 
anything, and she always brings to my attention 
some of the mistakes that I have made in my stories. 
I didn't know she listened so attentively to 
my stories. 

So, along with my "selective memory" skill, I 
need to develop the next stage: "Once told never 
repeat." I don't know how I'm going to really 
work on this, but that's the next skill to develop 
as an old goat. 

This will be the hardest skill for me to hone, but 
it's one I'll have to develop. 

The next time I tell a story with our friends 
around, I'm going to keep my eye on The Gracious 
Mistress of the Parsonage. If I see a certain 
expression on her face, I'm going to take the story 
in an altogether different direction. 

This is the third skill I need to hone as an old 
goat. That is, "Watch The Gracious Mistress Of 
The Parsonage Face." After 54 years of marriage,
I should be able to read that face, and yet I find 
it rather difficult. But, being the professional old 
goat that I am, I'm going to work on it until I 
have it mastered. 

Now that I have come to the stage of being an 
old goat, I'm beginning to like getting old. As a 
young person, I could never get away with actinglike an old goat. But now that I have the years 
behind me, I can act like a professional old goat. 
Believe me, it has its rewards. 

I have a long way to go in developing my old goat 
skills. I'm going to work at it until I get it as perfect 
as I can. 

I was reminded of David's prayer in Psalm 71:18. 
"Now also when I am old and greyheaded, OGod, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy 
strength unto this generation, and thy power to 
every one that is to come." 

Looking at my life, I must say that this has become 
my prayer every day. 

Dr. James L. Snyder lives in Ocala, FL with the 
Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. 

Telephone 1-352-216-3025 

e-mail jamessnyder51@gmail.com 

website www.jamessnyderministries.com. 

SILVER TSUNAMI: HOW 
AN AGING NATION IS 
RESHAPING AMERICA 

As 2026 unfolds, one of the most 
consequential shifts in the United 
States isn’t political—it’s demographic. 
By the end of this decade, 
all members of the Baby Boomer 
generation will be over 65, according 
to projections from the U.S. 
Census Bureau. The result is a historic 
surge in the senior population, 
often dubbed the “silver tsunami,” 
with wide-reaching impacts on health care, 
housing and the workforce. 

Communities from Florida to Arizona are 
already feeling the strain. Hospitals report 
longer wait times as demand for geriatric 
specialists rises. Assisted living facilities face 
staffing shortages, while home health agencies 
struggle to recruit aides amid rising labor 
costs. Meanwhile, Medicare spending 
continues to climb, placing pressure on federal 
and state budgets. 

Yet the story is not solely about strain—it 
is also about reinvention. Developers are 
investing in age-friendly housing with universal 
design features. Cities are redesigning 
public transportation to be more accessible. 
Technology companies are rolling 
out wearable health monitors and telehealth 


platforms that allow seniors to age in place 
safely and independently. 

The workforce is also changing. More 
Americans over 70 are choosing to remain 
employed, whether for financial security or 
personal fulfillment. Employers are adapting 
by offering flexible schedules and part-
time roles tailored to experienced workers.
Policy debates are intensifying in Washington, 
D.C., where lawmakers grapple with 
how to shore up Social Security and expand 
caregiver support. Advocates argue that 
proactive planning today will determine 
whether the aging boom becomes a crisis—
or an opportunity. 

One thing is certain: America is graying. 
How the nation responds will shape not 
only the lives of today’s seniors, but the future 
every generation is aging toward. 


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