Another Trip Around The Sun
08/11/25 08:26
November 8, 2025 (Vol. 19. No.43) - It is with amazement - and amusement - that I today celebrate my 73rd birthday. It is somewhat a surprise that I am still around considering the utter contempt with which I have held my body through the years. I am reminded of a Jimmy Buffett lyric where his girlfriend tells him, “I treat my body as a temple. You treat yours like a tent.”
In many ways, this is a difficult birthday. Within the last week I learned that I am going to have a hip replacement, a root canal and I broke tooth. I’ve started moving around the house like Walter Brennan. There are also outside environmental effects that dim today’s celebration. This is my first birthday without my younger brother Howard, who unexpectedly passed away in August. And as a regular reader of my writings will know, I am not happy that Donald Trump is still counted among the (barely) living. (Did you see where the Orange Buffoon fell asleep during his own Oval Office news conference this week?)
Despite the fact that my body sounds like a bowl of Rice Krispies whenever I stand up, I still feel pretty good for an old guy. I’m an active writer and video editor volunteering for the American Red Cross. I also spend much of my days promoting my latest book and working on my social media presence (such this post). And, of course, I play my greatest role, as husband, father and grandfather. It is amazing how the joy generated by one’s family can blot out the so many negatives the world throws at you.
As I start my 74th trip around the sun, I have plenty of concerns for what’s ahead. But I am optimistic that I will meet all challenges with the same pluck and determination that got me to where I am today. As the other Old Blue Eyes once said, “Regrets, I’ve had a few. But then again, too few to mention.” After all, I did it my way. That'a it for now. Fear the Turtle!