The Age of Living Well
So when I was in my twenties back in the 1970s… I’m told that I had a good time!😛
Yeah…about THAT. In those years of living life without a full frontal cortex as we young men do…and being gifted with a one-gear full throttle metabolism that could enjoy chocolate cake for breakfast gulp down an entire box of thin mint Girl Scout cookies for a snack, and not gain weight—mixed with the discovery that I could drink LOTS of alcohol, loved doing so, and that nicotine was DELIGHTFUL… yep, I’m told I had fun.
…the actual surviving memories however tell a bit of a different story. And these days (happily) I personify the old blues tune “Big Bad billy is Sweet William Now”
But it was a GLORIOUS time to be a young creative beginning my artistic journey! It was the ‘70s!!! Great grooving and deliciously diverse music came blasting from all around, it was the tactile, pre-internet arts ownership age and life was a grand denim-clad adventure. Woo Hoo!
I was also dealing with tremendous stress and trauma via a wacky home life that was in great crisis. All said, the 1970s was a deep gumbo-brew for me that made for a hot mess indeed.
But I would never trade that exotic, emotionally charged foundation in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Not for anything.
However, if I could do it all over again, I WOULD make a few changes.
And THAT realization comes from my current perch on the tree of life. I stand at the cusp of turning SEVENTY. 😳 Of all the decade milestones in life, 70 announces itself as one of the most important. That is a REAL number, folks. But as my wonderful cardiologist told me recently, “You’re just 70. You’re not old, Dude.”
I LOVE how THAT sounds!
And all the people said: “A-MEN!”
From early on, we are taught to think of life in terms of neat little silos of caricature:
- Childhood
- Teenage Years
- Young Adult
- Marriage
- Working Years, Raising a Family
- Retirement- death (usually in rapid succession)
In reality, with modern medical advances and at least a basic understanding and pursuit of healthy lifestyles, the following list is currently under development for myself:
- Childhood
- Teenage Years
- Further Development of a Full Frontal Cortex
- Full Education Years or Early Career Establishment
- Establish an Initial Career
- Marriage/Further Initial Career Development
- Raise a Family (or TWO families in succession in my case🙃)
- Therapy Begins (a fully functional frontal cortex at last!😛)
- Prime Initial Career Years
- Retirement (Graduation)
- Begin a Post-Retirement (Graduation) Career
- Therapy Continues
- Mindfulness Begins
- Become a Gadparent
- Prime Post-Retirement Career Years
- Actual Retirement
- Golden Years Travel Mindfulness
- Healthy Transition to the Next Life
As of this writing, I find mself at this point:
- Begin a Post-Retirement (Graduation) Career
- Therapy Continues
- Mindfulness Begins
- Become a Grandparent (that happened recently!❤️)
- Prime Post-Retirement Career Years
- Actual Retirement
- Golden Years Travel Mindfulness
- Healthy Transition to the Next Life
Or as the great Frank Mantooth used to say: “The youth of my old age.” Or better yet, my groovy cardiologist: “You’re just 70. You’re not old, Dude.”
Now what does all of that mean?
On the one hand, this basic wisdom has been with us for quite a while as evidenced by the funny cross stitch that my Mother made and used to hang in the hallway of our beloved family home in Hattiesburg (as pictured in the title graphic). Rendered in a whimsical “Pennsylvania Dutch” accent, it proclaimed “We grow too soon old, und too late schmart”
How true. As a young indestructible creative, the world seemed like a vehicle…a very FAST vehicle for one to ride upon towards a destiny of unimaginable greatness…riches, fame, success of every stripe… WOO HOO let’s GO! No particular recognition of the present beyond hedonistic delights and big events, just a headlong full speed gallop to the infinite FUTURE!
But now, at this juncture of blessed health and “schmart” …I get it. And in so doing, every single day, every moment, each and every NOW is a gift to be acknowledged and celebrated in a village of dear family and friends to be loved as the precious souls they are.
And THAT is indeed… sucess.
Sweet William indeed.
MAN! I gotta LOT of living to do! Stay tuned, folks…
I leave you today with my favorite rendering of what has become a theme for me in this season. Dylan Thomas’s great work as spoken here by the wonderful Michael Caine as part of one of my favorite films: Interstellar
AND, you can hear the great Welsh poet HIMSELF reciting it here! Dig:
Recording courtesy of The 92nd Street Y, New York (92NY). Dylan Thomas reading live at 92Y, winter 1952.
