A Wonderful Life....For Real!

I turned 60 today and begin my 6th decade on the planet.  I am amazed by how quickly the time has flown by.  The future looks bright as well as interesting and I am hopeful that I can survive another 4 decades at least.  It would be cool to be recognized on one of those morning talk shows as being someone who has reached the magical age of 100!!!  On a more serious note, birthdays are a great time to reflect back on the year(s) gone by and to count my blessings.

I have seen a lot, done a lot, met tons and tons of amazing people, laughed until my sides hurt, and cried more times that I care to admit.  I have milked a cow, driven a tractor, replaced a transmission in my car,  worked at a summer camp for 12 summers, mowed lawns and painted houses in the summer, sold home theater equipment,   watched both my boys be born, coached lots of folks in many different sports, and spent 33 years as a high school teacher......and this does not even scratch the surface.  I have been married twice, divorced once, had a heart attack, made a lot or mistakes, helped people as often as I could, and did my best to pay attention to the news, politics, and the latest and greatest authors and books.  It has been a great adventure for sure, and even as I look back today I can smile at the things that made life better, and cringe a lot at the things that hurt others.  For this I can do nothing but deeply apologize and chalk it up to making bad choices.  I can hope for forgiveness and pray for strength to not make the same mistake again.  


This past year has been amazing.  My boys and a few friends travelled to Bethpage to play golf and I broke 100 on all three days.....in spite of enjoying a good many of the available sand traps.  I continue to travel all over the place with my friend Armando with some very talented basketball playing girls.  We put a new roof on the house.  I painted the front deck and cleaned out the basement......AKA the Great Divide.  I bought a snow blower and we had an amazing garden.  My diet is heart healthy and I have gone to the gym six days a week for two hours each day religiously.  My son's new house is painted and looks fantastic and they are now settled in like an old married couple.  I worked with my dear friends at Camp Hope.  And as I write our new kitchen is two weeks into a complete makeover.  It has been a great year and the year ahead looks like it might turn out to be another amazing 365 days!

I am a lucky man!!  I had my dream job for 33 years!  Teaching was a blast and I can honestly say that each and every day was enlightening for me.  I am reasonably sure that I learned at least as much from my students as they learned from me.  They were fun to be around and I have many powerful memories that still have a special spot in my memory banks.  I loved my students and enjoyed our time together greatly.  I pray that as I continue to get older that I will be able to draw upon these memories until my last breath.  As I complete my 6th decade I want to thank all my students....you made my life so very gratifying. I am also grateful for teaching colleagues, administrators and fellow coaches for putting up with me and helping me grow and get better at my chosen craft.  You all helped me to make my dream become a reality.  I taught for more than half my life and would do it all over again!

When you have at least one dream job you are fortunate.  When you have two you are blessed.  For 12 summers I worked at CSM and those summers have helped me to see the world differently.  The summer staffs, the people that worked directly with me, and the hundreds of campers who dominated my life for 108 weeks were amazing.  They helped me to become a better man while at the same time supporting me and my family in our times of trials and troubles.  I remember the smell of the lake, the coolness of the chapel early in the morning, the multitude of stars that shown down upon us at night, the sounds of laughter of the young people, and the warmth of the many hugs that we all shared.  I have  made many lifetime friends that I know care about me and would do what they could to help me if I needed it.  My time at dream job number 2 was extraordinary and well as necessary for my growth as a person. 

My family is happy and healthy. My boys both work hard at their jobs.  They are kind to others and make me very proud.  I have added a daughter in law that i adore.  New houses and apartments are part of my life, and each day I thank God for helping my family find its way to serenity and happiness.  My wife is terrific and she helps to make me aware of the importance of second chances.  We are all doing well and for this I am thankful. 

As a look forward to the end of my 6th decade as proceed at warp speed to my 7th I can but smile and make sure that jump out of bed each and every day ready to hit the gym and then do the things that I need or want to do.  The peak of my life has long since passed and I am on the downward slope of the mountain of life.  This is not a bad thing, but a part of God’s plan.  I have never been afraid to die, but by the same token I want nothing more to live for a good many more years.  I want to be sure to utilize the downward portion of the slope.....simply because I remember how difficult climbing UP the slope was.  I loved the challenges that going up required butI would be lying if I said I was not going to enjoy that ride down the hill.  

My adventure continues and I want to thank each and every person who has helped me this far along my journey.  I love you all and hope that our paths will cross again some time soon......at least before Al Roker mentions my name while he does the morning weather on television.