Independence Day …. Spent in the presence of Willie Nelson, an American Icon.
- Barb Kreisman
- Jul 9
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 10
Maintaining our independence as we age is a critical factor – not just for practical reasons, but also for emotional and physical well-being. For many individuals independence helps older adults retain a sense of identity and control over their lives. Making one’s decisions—about where to live, health care, when to give up driving, their social life and how to allocate their finances is key to their confidence, self-esteem and emotional resilience.
My best friend and I had the opportunity to travel to Austin, Texas over the fourth of July holiday to participate in Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Picnic. At 92, we weren’t sure what his level of activity would be but we found him happy, proud and entirely present for the outdoor show which also featured his son, Lucas Nelson, Bob Dylan, the Mavericks, Asleep at the Wheel, and the Avett Brothers.
Willie is a unique individual, one whom has aged like good cheese or wine. His voice was still strong and his guitar playing was unmistakable as the strummed the strings of his trusted “Trigger”.
Last academic quarter, I was able to teach a course through the University of Denver’s Enrichment Program entitled Willie’s Nelson – The Legend, the Music, the Man. We covered all facets of his life — childhood, early days in the music business, the hardships which befell him over time, his four wives and eight children, his friends (The Highwaymen in particular) his music, and his unique philosophy on aging … and dying.
My fondness of Willie began back in the 1970’s when I lived in Phoenix for a brief time, having moved there from Wisconsin in the middle of winter. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven and everything I was exposed to left a lasting impression. It was there that I first saw Willie in person.
It was because of Willie (at least in part) that a few years later I moved to Austin, TX in 1979 when the opportunity presented itself shortly after watching Honeysuckle Rose, on the big screen. Willie actually lived just outside of Austin in the Texas Hill Country , and many times over the years I saw him play at small honky talk bars, the church I attended and later in big concert venues. I loved his sound and his approach to life.
Willie has outlived almost all of his musician friends—Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard and many others. As someone who studies aging, I have wondered what it is about Willie that has enabled him to maintain his independence and continue “on the road again. “
What I’ve learned about this remarkable human being is something he writes about frequently — the guide to happiness in your (his) heart. It is referred to as The Tao of Willie (by Willie Nelson) and I want to share some of his philosophy:
The Tao—pronounced “tao or dao” is a philosophy of life based on a Chinese text called the Tao Te Ching or “The Way and Its Power.” The Tao, says Willie, is living in accordance with the natural world, with other people, and yourself. Like any good philosophy, the Tao is a search for knowledge. It is also about not wanting more, but in needing less. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mbpQcLsqes
The starting point, according to Willie “is to respect your elders, and to give respect to those with less than you.”
Willie is a firm believer in the power of positive thinking and in the wisdom and guidance found in one’s own heart. He says he believes in dreams and in dreamers, and “being one himself”; positive attributes of laughter and the beauty of a good joke. He believes we are all here for a reason.
Willie describes himself as easy going and never hurried. He doesn’t try to outdo others but promotes the power of debate. On July 4th Willie reiterated “I am as proud to be an American as any other man alive but I also believe what makes us strong is not our strength of force but the power of our ideas and of the founding documents which have sustained us 250 years.”
Ain’t it Funny how Time Slips Away?
Asked what is the best age, Willie says he always answers the same thing: “This one”. He notes however that “No one knows how long I’ll be able to keep this pace, but I try to take not only one day at a time but one moment at a time.
“Since we know so little of the whole, it’s all the more important to know yourself. That brings us to the last question, the question that will best start you day, possibly every day of your life.
The Question is, “ Who am I”, and within the answer to that question is the thing we call happiness”.
Willie ended his July 4th concert with the song: “Last Leaf on the Tree” a wonderful tribute to all who’ve passed on before him.
Last Leaf on the Tree
I'm the last leaf on the tree The autumn took the rest But it won't take me I'm the last leaf on the tree When the autumn wind blows They're already gone They flutter to the ground They just can't hang on When there's nothing in this world That I ain't seen I greet all the new ones That are coming in green
I fight off the snow I fight off the hail Nothing makes me go I'm like some vestigial tail I'll be here through eternity If you wanna know how long If they cut down this tree I'll show up in a song
This blog was written by Barbara Kreisman, Professor Emerita, Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging, Ritchie School of Engineering, University of Denver. See more at Purposeful-Aging.org.
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