Today I am 56. I am now firmly entrenched in middle age. Not middle of the day or night, not middle of the road, not middle of the ocean. Middle age, not even something like the "Middle Ages" when Vikings roamed and the plague was in vogue. Crap, mid 50's is “middle age” for sure.
So what do I do now? Get a second wife? Ha! As much as my wife would love to be rid of me, there (I am assuming) few that are looking for over-weight, balding, bad heart and broke married guys, right? I mean look at me, I may look good from across the room but get close and you can see the gray, hear my befuddlement as I search for lost words and oh my, look at those wrinkles! Add in the BB&O (broke, balding, overweight) and whoa, we've got a loser here! Okay so how about a motorcycle? No, that's more fun then I am allowed to have according to my wife. Had one when we were “kids” and I am worth more to her today, dead, so why not? Not even a Vespa she says. A convertible would be good, a Miata. I have little hair to mess up, but with the overweight, bad knees and new found fear of skin cancer it’s a non-starter. I could get in but could I get out? Hell I have trouble getting off the sofa!
With the market beating the crap out of my retirement funds, house prices falling like the proverbial “rock” and the fear of unemployment driving me to drink heavier everyday things could be worse.
Let’s look at the bright side. I now have some experience should anyone need some advice. I have a very good friend at my side every morning and she has been there for 33 years. Great son, well behaved, articulate, polite and hard working as well as honest and loyal. I am a cancer survivor and even had a defective heart valve replaced so I am good to go for another 20 years at least, should my wife decide I am still worth the investment of her time and devotion. I’m a winner, I know, it just does not feel like it some mornings.
Sure hope my kid needs some of that advice someday as I have a lot of knowledge stored up and I would hate to let it all go to waste. Just give me a few seconds to remember what I was; huh, now why did I come downstairs?
Keep dreaming and going forward, it’s the best life we have and all we are going to get anyway.
Happy Trails,
