1-1-2006
New Year's, and how did I ever get here?
When I was younger, I never thought I'd reach my current life stage. I had several pretty good reasons to feel that way. First , I led, and still lead, a life-style in which I take a lot of physical and mental chances. I like driving a la Mario Andretti, walking alone at the edge of steep cliffs, and flirting with women who have 275 pound gorillas for boy friends. When I was in my 20s, I experimented with many hallucenagenic substances, joined a jump club, tried hang-gliding, and flirted with attached women ( I think their partners were smaller then, maybe 250). When drafted, I managed to get myself involved in covert action that nearly got me killed. Then I became a stock broker, and so now everybody wants me killed..
In addition to all this, both of my biological parents died in their early 50s of cancer and diabetes, respectively, so my genetic make-up was less than promising. I figured on a relatively short life span, so why not live it to the hilt? My wife , a somewhat cautious soul, observed in horror my shenanigans, particularly behind the wheel. ( in 1986, I drove my brand new Mercedes at over 180 mph at 10:00 pm down I-91, buried that speedometer, I did).
With the year 2000 as my previously considered maximum life expectancy, I find myself living on borrowed time (at least in my mind). As Groucho Marx once said, "I'm too old to die young". This being the case, why am I suddenly more cautious. My New Year's Eve is a good example. Instead of going down to Time's Square or getting roaring drunk at a party and stupidly driving home, my wife and I went to see "The Producers". We then came back and she cooked me a great cioppino (red, not white). The most exciting thing I did all night was have 3 MacAllan single malts (my limit is usually 2, I get soused much quicker than I used to). I'll leave out the part where I was on the phone for 2 hours acting in the role of psychologist , lawyer, cartographer, ( and, of course, father) to my kids. My wife fell asleep watching TV ( I guess I'm not the turn on I once was), and, though I woke her up for a midnight kiss, she didn't remember it this morning. Some idiot MC on Channel 4 and I welcomed in 2006 together.
It's not that I don't still take some chances. I still drive too fast, and I still flirt with inappropriate women (why do they all have such huge boyfriends?). I blog, and how dangerous is that? I'm now the oldest grad student (matriculated, no less) at Trinity College, which could definitely kill me. And I write, which I hope is lucky for you. But somehow the arrival of my 5th grandchild (over a year ago) seems to have slowed me down. I wonder why.
Later.
New Year's, and how did I ever get here?
When I was younger, I never thought I'd reach my current life stage. I had several pretty good reasons to feel that way. First , I led, and still lead, a life-style in which I take a lot of physical and mental chances. I like driving a la Mario Andretti, walking alone at the edge of steep cliffs, and flirting with women who have 275 pound gorillas for boy friends. When I was in my 20s, I experimented with many hallucenagenic substances, joined a jump club, tried hang-gliding, and flirted with attached women ( I think their partners were smaller then, maybe 250). When drafted, I managed to get myself involved in covert action that nearly got me killed. Then I became a stock broker, and so now everybody wants me killed..
In addition to all this, both of my biological parents died in their early 50s of cancer and diabetes, respectively, so my genetic make-up was less than promising. I figured on a relatively short life span, so why not live it to the hilt? My wife , a somewhat cautious soul, observed in horror my shenanigans, particularly behind the wheel. ( in 1986, I drove my brand new Mercedes at over 180 mph at 10:00 pm down I-91, buried that speedometer, I did).
With the year 2000 as my previously considered maximum life expectancy, I find myself living on borrowed time (at least in my mind). As Groucho Marx once said, "I'm too old to die young". This being the case, why am I suddenly more cautious. My New Year's Eve is a good example. Instead of going down to Time's Square or getting roaring drunk at a party and stupidly driving home, my wife and I went to see "The Producers". We then came back and she cooked me a great cioppino (red, not white). The most exciting thing I did all night was have 3 MacAllan single malts (my limit is usually 2, I get soused much quicker than I used to). I'll leave out the part where I was on the phone for 2 hours acting in the role of psychologist , lawyer, cartographer, ( and, of course, father) to my kids. My wife fell asleep watching TV ( I guess I'm not the turn on I once was), and, though I woke her up for a midnight kiss, she didn't remember it this morning. Some idiot MC on Channel 4 and I welcomed in 2006 together.
It's not that I don't still take some chances. I still drive too fast, and I still flirt with inappropriate women (why do they all have such huge boyfriends?). I blog, and how dangerous is that? I'm now the oldest grad student (matriculated, no less) at Trinity College, which could definitely kill me. And I write, which I hope is lucky for you. But somehow the arrival of my 5th grandchild (over a year ago) seems to have slowed me down. I wonder why.
Later.
posted by Papa Bill | 6:38 AM
5 Comments:
Deep man, and kind of heavy. You are here because you are meant to pass on your enormous dearth of experience to us younger folks, and because you've still got a whole lot of life left in you. As far as I can tell, you are living it up to its fullest.
I enjoyed reading this, Bill.
I went out New Years Eve. I had to put up with the crowd and noise makers...just to get a chance to dance. It was sort of risky though...driving on the icy Blue Ridge Parkway to get there. They don't plow or salt it.
Bill, I have my 4 things up. Come on over when you can.
You are definately getting older. The more important question - are you getting wiser?
Remember - that is Wiser, not Wiseguyer ;-)
"....I find myself living on borrowed time (at least in my mind). As Groucho Marx once said, "I'm too old to die young". This being the case, why am I suddenly more cautious...."
I think I understand this trend
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