I’ll turn 75 this year and I’ve been reflecting on this time of life. Fortunately, I’m relatively healthy and I’m not dealing with any major health challenges at the moment, but I’m aware of my body aging and the wear and tear on various body parts. My shoulders hurt more and I have to be more careful doing my exercises. When I was younger I would run and jump with abandon. Now I may roll over in bed and pull something if I’m not careful. Sometimes I tilt toward being more cautious in my life. Other times I go with abandon and accept the injuries that may come my way.
There are a few things I’ve been thinking about as I approach my 75th birthday:
- I feel very blessed to be given the life I’ve had, with its ups and downs, failures and triumphs.
- I’ve learned as much from the downs–(my life-long hunger to be loved and accepted by my rejecting father, my depression and bipolar disorder that has brought be agonies and ecstasies, my two broken marriages and estrangement from my children during their formative years) as I have from the ups– (40 years in my men’s group, my third marriage going strong after 39 years, which my wife, Carlin, attributes to my being in a men’s group for 40 years, my passion for writing, with my 15th book, My Distant Dad, coming out in June.
- We live in a world out of balance. In 1943, the year I was born, there were just over 2.4 billion people on the planet. This year there are just over 7.6 billion. We all feel the changes, whether we’re consciously aware of them or not.
- This is my time of life and I’m determined to make the best of the time I have.
I’d be interested to know what time of life you are in and what you’ve learned. If you feel so moved drop me a note. Put DST #1 in the subject line.
Tell me your name and age and share any thoughts about your time of life. I’ll read every one and appreciate you taking time to interact with me.
I will be sending out periodic “Diamond Short Takes.” If you’d like to continue to receive them, drop me an email, put DST #1 in the subject line, Say something like “I’m in. Subscribe me.” (you can stop anytime if you no longer wish to receive them) and share anything you’d like with me.
Until next time,
I’m Jed 75.
