Well, here I am (I originally wrote “here we are”, but the “we” part might be confusing so I’ll go back to “I” for now.): three score and ten. Never thought I’d make it. Lots of stupid stuff as a teen and twenty-something. Lots of booze of one kind or another. Little sleep. Lots of fatty foods: fried, grilled, bar-b-cued, boiled, and nuked. Lots of processed food. Lots of junk food. And I smoked. Never did drugs though. Totally missed the 60’s that everybody thinks was so cool. I was too busy getting drunk and fishing. (OK and being a pretty good grad student for 8 years too.)
But here I am. Jesus, if I’da known then that I would make it this far I might have changed something. Maybe not eaten that last fried shrimp at the Dala Horse in Miami in 1961. Naw.
Life has some funny old turns, though. Hopefully one of the things that accumulates in addition to arterial cholesterol is something called “wisdom”. I don’t know what that is exactly, but maybe it relates to the decisions you make when you survive into later years. All that crap that I ate and drank for example. I hardly ever overdo on those things. No more 20oz steaks or piles of pork chops (fat on please). Moderation. Can. Be. Boring. But. You. May. Live. Longer.
I did learn one thing worth telling: don’t ever, ever wish that you could go back and change something. Even something awful. You change one thing and everything changes. I could go back to some pretty awful times and wish they weren’t there. For instance: I was arrested for burglary at 15. Just a stupid teenage prank. It was not fun. It was horrible in fact. Changed my life and direction though. We all have lots of those kinds of things in our past that seem shameful or stupid (and probably are). They make you who you are. Change them and you change. Maybe for the better and maybe for the worst.
I’ll take Woody 7.0 as is thank you. Flawed but OK. And I’ll take my family, friends and wonderful wife “as is” as well. I love you all just the way you are. Thanks for being part of my life. You make it rich beyond my wildest dreams.
Image: www.flickr.com/photos/myklroventine/1461779812/
But here I am. Jesus, if I’da known then that I would make it this far I might have changed something. Maybe not eaten that last fried shrimp at the Dala Horse in Miami in 1961. Naw.
Life has some funny old turns, though. Hopefully one of the things that accumulates in addition to arterial cholesterol is something called “wisdom”. I don’t know what that is exactly, but maybe it relates to the decisions you make when you survive into later years. All that crap that I ate and drank for example. I hardly ever overdo on those things. No more 20oz steaks or piles of pork chops (fat on please). Moderation. Can. Be. Boring. But. You. May. Live. Longer.
I did learn one thing worth telling: don’t ever, ever wish that you could go back and change something. Even something awful. You change one thing and everything changes. I could go back to some pretty awful times and wish they weren’t there. For instance: I was arrested for burglary at 15. Just a stupid teenage prank. It was not fun. It was horrible in fact. Changed my life and direction though. We all have lots of those kinds of things in our past that seem shameful or stupid (and probably are). They make you who you are. Change them and you change. Maybe for the better and maybe for the worst.
I’ll take Woody 7.0 as is thank you. Flawed but OK. And I’ll take my family, friends and wonderful wife “as is” as well. I love you all just the way you are. Thanks for being part of my life. You make it rich beyond my wildest dreams.
Image: www.flickr.com/photos/myklroventine/1461779812/
Posts
1 comment:
Little surprises around every corner, yeah?
Post a Comment