I was 23 years old when Paul McCartney sang that question for the Beatles Yellow Submarine. Now I discover, to my great ambivalence that I will be precisely that the day after tomorrow. I was going to write something truly profound this Thursday, as I did when I turned 60, but I was afraid that by then I would forget what it was I wanted to say.
In fact, I already have. There isn't profundity floating around anywhere, in here. So instead, as I'm increasingly prone to do, I offer you a few scattered and random thoughts:
- This distance between 23 and 64 is a lot shorter than you think.
- Some of the most memorable experiences are simpler than you may think. For example, my first espresso in Italy. A smiling girl on a subway with who I never spoke, the first time I smelled jasmine.
- Babies. When you are young other people's babies are pretty much boring. When they are your grand children, it's entirely different.
- Letters about Medical and Social Security arrive every year after you turn 50. This year they are suddenly of great interest to me.
- I stay young by seriously considering a great many new ideas.
- I exercise like there is no tomorrow. One of these days, there won't be.
- The hardest human virtue for me remains forgiveness. I've been working on that one for a very long time. Oh yeah. I'm also not particularly good at shutting up.
- Pay attention to little details. Very often, that's where you'll find the most revealing secrets.
- Of all the things you can possibly run out of, time is the one you cannot replace.
May each of you live long and prosper. Hopefully, I will continue to do the same. Now where did I put my spectacles?
