Happy Birthday,,,,,


Yesterday was my birthday.Not just any birthday. It was the birthday where you officially become a senior. I'm not too happy about that. But there's no fighting it. I'm reminded of my age almost every time I get the mail. I get junk mail from cemeteries and other age-related "benefits".

No moustache. Only hopes and dreams.
Most of my birthdays are nothing special. This year I got a couple of surprises. First, my daughter surprised me by driving in from Buffalo for a visit. Secondly, my wife planned a surprise party by inviting my buddy Mike and his family. Very nice.

If you haven't guessed, I struggle with my age. Not just recently. I remember I struggled turning 40. "OMG I'm 40!" I thought. "I guess that makes me officially middle-aged." Maybe I struggle with age because I remember how much fun it was to be young. Most young people don't have to worry about bills. They have an opportunity for plenty of jobs. There's plenty of laughs to laugh about.

If I'm to be honest about it, one reason I struggle with age is because of my experiences with strangers that are slightly older than me. Many of them worry about the stupidest things. They worry about things that have no consequence. "Is this fish from the Atlantic or Pacific?" "Do you know how many pickles are in this jar? " But then it hits me. At one point these elderly folks had to be pretty sharp. They had good jobs. They raised kids. When did they turn into these wandering dufasses? Am I headed that way? In a few years will be waiting at dawn for a store to open so I can buy a box of crackers?

There are two quotes about aging that I like. George Bernard Shaw supposedly said, "Youth is wasted on the young." That is most definitely true. Because the older you get, the smarter you get. You have
Grow older, but not up.
the benefit of a lifetime of experience. But the problem is the older you get, the less opportunity you have to use all this stored up knowledge. Job opportunities become fewer. Less people actually care about some old guys opinion. Thank God for trivia contests in bars. I'm good at that.

The other quote I enjoy is from Jimmy Buffett when he encourages us to "Grow older, but never up!" Just because you're getting older doesn't mean you have to act like it. Go have some fun. Take a road trip. Stay interested in something that interested you when you were younger. Stay young at heart.

I try to keep some young people in my life. That' not too hard. Almost anybody I run into is younger than me. But when you talk to younger people you will discover they are exactly like you were when you were younger. Same cares and concerns. Same hopes and dreams. Really, I think the only things different are cell phones and social media.

So here comes another year of experiences. I'll try to remember the good stuff, and breeze by the rest.


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