How we love to be "strutters!"... But..?

Eating lunch in a subways, I watched a couple of lunchtime meetings by young estimated mid to late thirties gentlemen in suits. They were intent in discussion with an obvious older "boss" who it looked like they were trying to impress. Each meeting in time finished and the young men "strutted" through the restaurant looking very pleased with themselves, shook hands with their colleagues outside and left, looking very important. I reflected that when I was their age I must have looked like that! I went to meetings, sometimes flying around the country and even overseas. We "young guns" talked strategy, planning, programmes, restructures and future. We often threw the old out for the new, and worked for change. We thought we were movers and shakers, important people.
Very soon, it seems like in the blink of an eye, you are the old ones. The changes, restructures and programmes did not really change much, just gave us the illusion of doing something important. They  have been long forgotten and thrown out by a new group of "strutters" and movers and shakers who thought they knew better. We-who-once-were-young are thought to be past our used-by date and, just when we have gathered a bit of wisdom, are on the sidelines watching.

Just before we began our trip to the UK my wife bumped into a family in the supermarket car park. The mother was with her two youngest children, now 20 years old and late twenties. We had not had contact for some time.  They all greeted my wife with warm hugs and spoke of their life, and the career paths they were on, and where they were at. All were doing well. Twenty years ago that mum lay on our couch in the foetal position for three days. She was in a mess. We spent a lot of time over a few years, caring, supporting, helping as she worked her way through to some measure of stability.  Now they are in a better state of being and lovingly hug my wife. ..... I would like to say to the young strutters of today, the sharing of love, the working for the wholeness of all, the loving in the journey of life are the long lasting satisfactions and fulfilment of life. The apostle Paul said in effect,  you can be and do all things, but if you do not have love you are just a noisy gong. Sometimes I have liked being a noisy gong, but from the perspective of old age, reality is  found in the loving.