Our childhoods served us well.

We became experts at playing as kids, learning to skip and run,

to cooperate, negotiate and compromise.

Then our childhoods ended.

Our teenage years served us well.

We became specialists in chatting to the opposite sex, in listening to music and playing sports,

in learning to cooperate, negotiate and compromise.

Then our teenage years were over.

Our working lives served us well.

We became skilled in our trades and learning to keep to deadlines,

to cooperate, negotiate and compromise.

Then we became too old to work.

Our married lives served us well.

We became considerate husbands, wives and parents, learning how to care for others,

to cooperate, negotiate and compromise.

Then the kids were gone.

Our old age served us well.

We didn’t care less about cooperating, negotiating and compromising.

We learned to shed our inhibitions and not give a damn.

But sadly, our lives were very nearly over.