Turning 50...It's A Numbers Game!

Well at some point in our lives we all see the big one, the five-oh (ouch)! Yes, and to my surprise my wife did just that! She gave me an awesome surprise 50th birthday bash. A party complete, with catered food, drinks, more drinks and a room full of the most wonderful people you will ever meet...my family and friends!

When you reach this milestone you don't look as much to what you can do in the future, but to what you've done in the past. The one thing I've learned about life is that it's just a game of numbers. It becomes clearer when you near age 50. Doctors are now concerned about the numbers on the scale, the numbers when taking your blood pressure, your cholesterol numbers, your HDL and LDL numbers, your blood sugar level numbers, your A1C levels, etc.
This is also the time that the doctors tell you that you need exams for everything that you thought was working just fine, thank you! You want to put your camera where???

At my surprise party I watched a slide presentation of my life from birth till now. And thought about all those number of years. Did I do anything that may have left some sort of impression on this world we live in? Was I an asset to society? Or maybe a burden? I've never been rich, never famous, I never invented anything! But, I thought about those darn numbers that just kept growing as I did. There I was as a baby all wrinkly, cute and black and white. They didn't have color photos, they had color portraits. Color portraits looked just like a black and white photo someone added some color to. My first milestone had to be going to school about 6 years old, the double-digit years came next when you go from a number 9 to a 10! What number was I looking for next the unluckiest number 13! There's something about going from 12 to 13 that makes you feel just a little bit cocky, you are a teenager. What could possibly be next the number 16! All the time your waiting to drive you drive your parents crazy! Next up 18! This age was a bad/good age to be. When I was 18 you were old enough to vote, old enough to drink in our neighboring state, Illinois, but sadly you were also old enough to be drafted and serve our country and maybe lose your life. Fortunately, for myself and friends registration ended just about the time we were turning 18. Then becoming of legal age...21! A time you could order drinks legally take on more responsibilities and feel like a real adult! The first big birthday you were waiting for.
But what happened next? More years went by the number grew out of control and before you knew it you were hitting another benchmark 30! What happened? From looking forward to birthdays and now wondering, how is this happening so fast? No, no, I don't want black balloons!
Not FORTY! Yes, another 10 years go by and you are the BIG FOUR-O! This is the time you kick back have some drinks and fun with your friends and think I got a big future ahead of me, I might still be famous, invent something and become a millionaire. Then like a snake slithering through the woods and the snake bites and you realize...what I'm 50! Shut up! There ain't no way that could be!

So here I sit today anticipating the 5-0, I've heard the rustle of leaves as the snake slithers closer and closer. All I can do now is look back on the past and count my blessings. Did I invent anything? No. Am I famous? No. Am I rich? Yes, I am rich with the love of family and friends who helped me through this trying time of just another double digit number FIVE-O.

Socks Without Partners

As I fast approach the age of 50 one thing that has puzzled me all my life is where do my socks go? Of course I know they go on my feet, but what happens when you take them off? I put both socks in the clothes hamper expecting them to get washed, come back together and smelling fresh. Not much to expect from a pair of socks. The operative word here is "pair"! They went together into the laundry but did not make it back together.

I have been through a lot of socks in my life, a mother and 2 different wives, but the results are always the same. Some come back together, some come back all alone. Where do they go? What do they do? And sometimes suddenly an old friend returns to find his mate in my sock drawer and I can use them again. Just this morning I grabbed one sock and couldn't find the other I swore I had 2 but one somehow got away from me. It's easy to segregate the white socks, they are the ones you buy like 12 pair at a time. With 24 socks that all look the same it's fairly easy to keep 2 of them together. You can mix and match and no one knows the difference.
But the dress socks are another story I have some with gold toes that are navy blue, some that have gold toes and are black! Very hard to tell apart, but when you are in the light of day it stands out like a sore thumb. Then there's my socks with little designs that go up and down the socks, some have little patterns, some have diamonds, some have circles, some have dashes. They're black and they're blue just to keep you on your toes! Pardon the pun. They are always going out on me, like a spouse cheeting on their mate and then later they show back up again.
I guess I will always wonder where do socks go. It's one of those strange things in life you can never quite put your finger on. Think of me the next time you put your socks on...and you'll see what I mean sometimes socks have feet of their own!

Welcome To My Corner!

After seeing Ed Taylor's "Last Thursdays" blog for our happy hour group. I decided to test the waters and create my own little corner of the Internet world with my own blog spot. With the print news media doing what it is today, I thought it might be fun to become a writer of my own column on the Internet. This will be just like the Seinfeld show a column about nothing!

After reading what other bloggers are putting on the web this may be a chance for me to have some fun and blog, blog, blog to friends and family. So fasten your seat belts, keep your eyes on your computer and look for upcoming blogs about nothing. Comments are always welcomed and encouraged. Including hecklers and jokesters. Sometimes we all need a laugh.

Glenda says I sometimes complain too much about the little things. Imagine that? A wife saying her husband complains! Well now I have an audience that may just want to hear what I have to say and we don't have to be married!