It’s not Abe Lincoln

 “And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”

“It is traced back to a man named Edward J. Stieglitz. An advertisement for Mr. Stieglitz’s book, The Second Forty Years, contained the phrase, “The important thing to you is not how many years in your life, but how much life in your years!” mashable.com -source material    Interesting!

Birdelini and Abe - Altered Facts.
Birdelini and Abe – Altered Facts!
  1. Since it is Presidents day, and this quote is often attributed to Abraham Lincoln, it was fitting to use as the post for the day. However, even though The GOP even used it on this past Sunday, Feb 12, 2017, it is NOT a quote from Abe! Altered Facts/Realities. Read all about it. It’s an amusing article.
  2. When I first read it and saw it came from a man named Edward Stieglitz I was somewhat amazed and possibly delighted. That name also belongs to an amazing artist. With a tiny bit of research online I learned a little more about a very cool father and son.
    “The father of Alfred Stieglitz, the renowned twentieth-century photographer and dealer, Edward Stieglitz created impressionist paintings that revealed the beauty of the urban landscape. Born in Germany, Stieglitz immigrated to the United States as a young man. He soon established himself in New York City, where he absorbed the artistic currents of the day and exhibited at the Society of Independent Artists. His paintings are now in the collections of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art in Oklahoma and the University Galleries of Tennessee. The stylistic links between his paintings and his son Alfred’s photographs suggest some degree of artistic influence between father and son…”  more info
  3. What the quote is really from is a book called The Second Forty Years-1946 nonfiction self-help book about aging, by Edward Stieglitz…. According to Stieglitz, “mere longevity is not goal enough, but rather constructive health practices should be undertaken to enhance the quality of life.” Pretty good stuff regardless of 1946 or 2017.
  4.  And the obvious – as we all know, but so often forget, it’s how HOW we live our lives. Quantity of years certainly DOES COUNT (again for many clear reasons) but Quality is PRIME.

So I will keep it short. As those of you that know me, or follow me on this blog, or Social Media know, this current President is not one I care for and not one I feel any need to honor on this day. However, there have been some great ones…. so  Presidents Day, even in this complicated, cluttered and furious world, is still more than just a holiday.