Reeling in the Years

The Steely Dan song isn't about getting old as much as about time spent together. Still, it makes a good title for this piece. Lately, I have been "reeln in the years".....thinking about the stuff I have done. I can't say for sure....but I am 99% positive that it's been all good.

This Saturday I turn 60. As a kid we thought that 60 was OLD. That was before 50 became the new 40 and Social Security pushed up retirement age. Today 60 may just be the new 50...what ever that all means. Here are some thoughts about 60.

First....I do not feel any different then when I was 17. All this means that either I was a stupid kid or that once your opinions are set about things, they really do not change much over the rest of your life. At 17 I would listen to stuff and think....that is fucking stupid. Today, I say it. Not much real change there, except diminished consequences. At 17 I cared more about how people would react to my opinion. Now I just don't give a shit.

Second.....I have done a lot of stuff and been a lot of places. I raised two families and I'm working on number three. I owned 14 motorcycles and was married 4 times. There is no correlation between those two facts. They are mutually exclusive. I lived all over, in Texas, Alaska, Utah, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, California and Germany. The big difference in location is humidity. I do not like it when it is too humid. Over 20 summers in St Louis almost killed me.

Third.......I should have lived in California my whole life. When I came here for the first time in 1978.........We rode my motorcycle from St Louis to San Francisco and back...........it was like heaven. Connie's mom had a little one room apartment downtown San Francisco. After riding all the way out to visit, she told us we would have to find a place to stay. I asked around and a guy told me to stay at the YMCA. It was great. They let us park the motorcycle inside the back door. They still provide rooms at the Central YMCA Hotel 220 Golden Gate Avenue San Francisco, CA. Today, my daughter Meredith, attends San Francisco State University. Big wheel keeps on turning.

Fourth.....I have learned you can not change people. You are what you are. My single biggest flaw has been that I see people for their potential. They fail to achieve that potential and I lose respect for them. Stanley asked me....."why do you turn on people you called friends?" The answer is: They failed to achieve their potential and I lost interest. As a result I have been married four times. I could not change Pattie, Connie, or Julie. They would agree, I tried. Pam does not need to change. She is perfect. I don't agree with her 100% but I know she is smarter then me and I try not to tinker with her.

Fifth.....You can not turn 60 without an end game. My parents weren't smart but they saved half the money the earned. They had an end game. They both died at home in their own beds. This was how they planned it. They knew they were getting old and they discussed it and planned for it. I live in the Condo that is the last place I will live. My end game depends on Pam taking care of me and Jack being there to take care of Pam.

So I'm turning 60. Things are going well. I have never been happier and I'm looking forward to 80.