Don’t Let The Old Man In

My wife and I watched Toby Keith: American Icon on TV recently. It was a tribute to the country music star who died of stomach cancer this past February. I have always enjoyed listening to Toby. He was a country boy from Oklahoma that made it big, but he didn’t act like it. He was always just ole’ Toby.

The many country music stars that were there, performed their favorite Toby Keith songs. Some shared stories about him. Many tears flowed that night. I am not ashamed to say I wiped a few away.

I knew most of the songs they sang, but in the second half of the show, Jelly Roll sang a song I was not familiar with called, My List. He said, “Toby inspired me to be a better American, a better human, a better songwriter and, with songs like this, he inspired me to be a better father.”

The song, he said, was Toby’s “list” of things he wanted to get done. As he sang it, he would reflect on which things were important on his list, and which were not.

                                    Under an old brass paperweight
                                    Is my list of things to do today
                                    Go to the bank and the hardware store
                                    Put a new lock on the cellar door

                                  I cross ’em off as I get ’em done
                                    But when the sun is settled
                                    There’s still more than a few things left
                                    I haven’t got to yet

                                  Go for a walk, say a little prayer
                                    Take a deep breath of mountain air
                                    Put on my glove and play some catch
                                    It’s time that I make time for that

                                  Wade the shore and cast a line
                                    Look up an old lost friend of mine
                                    Sit on the porch and give my girl a kiss
                                    Start livin’, that’s the next thing on my list

                                    It wouldn’t change the course of fate
                                    The cutting the grass just had to wait
                                    Because I’ve got more important things
                                    Like pushin’ my kid on the backyard swing

                                  I won’t break my back for a million bucks
                                    I can’t take it to my grave
                                    So why put it off for tomorrow
                                    What I could get done today

                                 Raise a little hell, laugh ’til it hurts
                                    Put an extra five in the plate at church
                                    Call up my folks to chat
                                    It’s time that I make time for that

                                 Stay up late, and oversleep
                                    Show her what she means to me
                                    Catch up on all the things I’ve always missed
                                    Just start living, that’s the next thing on my list

When Toby was growing up in Oklahoma, he loved to be outdoors hunting and fishing. His wife and family enjoyed and have many memories outdoors doing things together. Fishing was his favorite. 

The outdoors was a stress reliever for Toby. It can be for all of us. It would have been a big part of his life after he retired from entertaining. He loved to be out in the nature that God created for all of us.                                 

Even though most of his songs were about drinking, partying, and love for his country. Toby put faith and family first. Then he put his love for his country and the men and women who serve or have served.

Throughout his career, on his personal “list”, he put a priority on, performing for our troops. He played more than 280 USO shows across 18 countries. He visited 132 military bases and locations to entertain more than 250,000 service men and women. He made more visits to active combat zones than the past four Presidents of the United States combined.

Toby’s daughter, Krystal Keith, also has her own career in country music. She said, “My daddy loved his family and friends. He also loved hunting, fishing, and the outdoors. You might not have known this by some of the songs that made him famous, but he also had a strong faith and relationship with Jesus. He got to a point in his battle with cancer that he told us, “Whatever happens, I know where I am going and I am at peace with that.”

Krystal sang the last song that night at her dad’s special tribute. It is my personal favorite of all of Toby’s songs – Don’t Let the Old Man In. What made it my favorite was that I too am getting old and doing my best to not let the old man in.

This is the true story about how he came to write the song. Toby was playing in a charity golf tournament in 2017. He was paired with legendary actor and Oscar-winning director, Clint Eastwood. They played their way through the course chatting about projects both were working on.

Eastwood said he was about to start directing and starring in a new movie called The Mule. Toby was amazed and asked Clint how, at almost 90 years old, he could remain as active and involved as he was. Eastwood thought for a moment, looked Toby right in the eye, and responded in that famous voice of his, “I don’t let the old man in.” Then he grinned.

That same day, Toby begins writing a song inspired by his conversation with Clint. He was also inspired by something his grandmother had told him about a friend of who did not know her exact age due to her not ever having a birth certificate.

When Toby finished the song and recorded it, he sent it to Clint. When Clint heard it, he called Toby to tell him he loved it and asked if he could use it in his new movie about an old man. Of course, Toby said yes.

Toby Keith’s last television performance was last year at the People’s Choice Awards where he was presented the Country Icon award. Not many knew it then, but Toby was in great pain. Cancer was ravaging his body as he courageously walked on stage.

His wife of four decades and his kids were in the front row wiping tears. She knew that her husband was saying goodbye to his fans. Toby sang this song for the last time that night. Not only to his fans but to all of us, men and women, who are growing old. These are the words to his song –

                                                Don’t let the old man in
                                                I want to leave this alone
                                                I can’t leave it up to him
                                                He’s knocking on my door

                                               And I knew all of my life
                                                That someday it would end
                                                Get up and go outside
                                                Don’t let the old man in

                                                Many moons I have lived
                                                My body’s weathered and worn
                                                Ask yourself how old would you be
                                                If you didn’t know the day you were born

                                                Try to love on your wife
                                                And stay close to your friends
                                                Toast each sundown with wine
                                                Don’t let the old man in

                                                Many moons I have lived
                                                My body’s weathered and worn
                                                Ask yourself how old would you be
                                              If you didn’t know the day you were born

                                                When he rides up on his horse
                                                And you feel that cold bitter wind
                                                Look out your window and smile
                                                Don’t let the old man in

Don’t Let the Old Man In is a song about how the time comes for all of us when we grow old. Garth Brooks’s song, If Tomorrow Never Comes, reminds us that we never know when our time on earth is through.Some of you may not live to old age. Tim McGraw’s song, Live Like You Were Dying, encourages us to go ahead and do the things we would want to do if we knew we were dying.

Age is just a number. We cannot let growing old get to us. We should not worry that we could die at any time. We should live life to the fullest while we are here.

I will be celebrating my 78^th birthday in a few months. I don’t know how many more years I have before the Good Lord Calls me home. Until then, I will continue to enjoy the outdoors any way I can and write about it to encourage others to get outdoors too. Doing that and other things will keep your mind and body active.

We should all work at always having a positive attitude whether we are young or old. Doing that, and having a strong faith in God is part of how to not let the old man or old woman in.

Like many of you, I have not always been who I am today. I messed up a lot, but God did not give up on me. I am still His work in progress. Like Toby, I know Jesus. I plan on being bold and telling as many people about Him as I can through words and actions before it is my time to go. I want others to have the peace I have of knowing where they are going when it is there time to go. How about you?

I encourage you to live each day like you were dying until tomorrow never comes. While you are doing that, don’t let the old man in.