I turned 57 today. How the hell did I get so old! And gray, and balding? Forty years just blew right by. Time seems to be accelerating. By Thursday I’m happy that the week has gone by so fast, but then the weekends are gone in the blink of an eye. And it’s Monday morning and I can’t help but think that I don’t want to go back to work. I want to retire. And you know what, I don’t think it’s going to happen. The mortgage won’t be paid off for twelve years, social security, if it’s even around, won’t start for eight. I’ve got to figure out how I can help the girls as much as possible with college. And I suppose they’re going to want weddings too. I guess I shouldn’t feel like the Lone Ranger though, there’s probably a hell of a lot of us boomers looking at the same problems. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.

Serves me right though. I pretty much took my retirement from age 22 through 40. I worked part time tending bar and security guarding and being a very marginally self employed artist. I dedicated my twenties to substance abuse and basketball. So when it dawned on me that I needed to get serious because I had two little girls to provide for, I was already behind the eight ball. So I jumped on the corporate merry-go-round, but never grabbed the brass ring.

Don’t get me wrong, I ain’t really bitchin‘. I’m actually as happy as I’ve ever been. I’m in love with my wife, the girls are doing well, philosophy and pharmaceuticals have given me a calm that I’ve never experienced before and really the financial picture isn’t nearly as bad as it sometimes seems.

So bring on the next 57 years!

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