The Surprise Visitor

We’d better face it: though we love our coffee, it isn’t morning   around here anymore.

Ron Carlson, “Time of Day”

Here’s a peculiar thing: Everybody knows that every person who has ever lived, if lucky enough, has gotten old. Since the beginning of time. You may even personally know some old people.
But tell the truth: Do you really believe you’ll get old?
I certainly didn’t.
What happens is that one day you open the door and get a big surprise.
Old.
Standing there grinning at you with her yellow teeth.
If you’re like me, you don’t greet her warmly or invite her in until she hangs around so long it’s embarrassing with the neighbors.

I’m writing a book, Don’t Sit Down Yet, and companion blog, about this unexpected visitor.
You could call it a coming of age book.
And also a coming to terms with age book.

Both my book Don’t Sit Down Yet and the blog are about living fully until you die. Or to take Sheryl Sandburg’s phrase a little further: Don’t leave until you leave.

Luckily, the beginning of the 21st century is a propitious age to get old in.
With the baby boomers starting to collect social security, we are roaring up on the time when Old Is the New Black.

The book and this blog have their light parts but they’re not going to be all jokes, because in the end, death and dying are not laughing matters. Though l know people whose dream death is to tell a hilarious joke at a party and, as everybody is cracking up, keel over.

Both book and blog will be my take on things.

About a 50+ year marriage.

About writing and kids and grandkids and a lifetime struggle of trying to balance work and relationships.

About the world that was, the world we live in, and where the heck are we going?

I promise I won’t urge you to drink a lot of water or do your exercises, because
a) that’s boring, and
b) you already know that.

I hope this blog will be useful, insightful, provocative, entertaining, but most of all, worth your time. And mine.

If you’ll tell me your take on things, this won’t only be about me, it’ll be about us. With luck, it’ll be like life, ever evolving, full of surprises for all of us.

No matter what age you are, I hope you’ll join me on this venture. At least until I deliver that once-in-a-lifetime crack-up-everybody killer joke.