THE SIX TENETS OF CODGERISM

1. We Persist.

Pain, setbacks, lost parts, broken bones, broken hearts —

we keep going, one step or shuffle at a time.

2. We Adapt.

Can’t stand? Sit.

Can’t remember? Improvise.

Can’t do it the old way? Invent a new one and pretend that was the plan all along.

3. We Build Community.

We gather people around the table,

around the couch,

around the camera.

Nobody gets left behind.

4. We Share Our Craft.

Recipes, music, stories, tricks of the trade —

we don’t hoard wisdom.

We pass it on like fresh bread.

5. We Laugh at Calamity.

A codger doesn’t whine —

we chuckle, we grumble, we tell the story better each time.

Humor is our armor.

6. We Dream Forward.

We don’t live in yesterday.

We make today, and we plot tomorrow.

A Codger’s future is always under construction.