The future’s just around the corner.
But what’s around that corner different for everyone.
We lived it recently, attending an 80 year-old friend’s surprise birthday party, and then to St. Petersburg for a niece’s law school graduation.
Struck by the thought: How hard is it to fool an 80 year-old?
Our ‘formerly -elderly’ (the elderly line moving back as I approach the big numbers) friend Pete was indeed surprised/fooled, his wife pulling off a sunset boat cruise with 20 of his closest friends.
My Captor and I contributing my ‘famous’ brats, a sensation (in my mind, anyway) at the annual GA-FLA party – and one of Pete’s favorites.
All his favorite foods were there- as well as 2 of his 3 sons!
The evening delightful.
Light jazz background music, Tropicalia, and most importantly, in sight of land the entire time – my most important cruising metric.
Pete offering interesting age observations:
A friend said he’d entered Level 2, reaching 80, with a goal of 90, or Level 3. There was no mention of Level 4… but Pete looked healthy to me.
He’d been young just a few days earlier, when no one knew how old he really was.
And he was excited to be able to make any age observations at all.
The evening a blast, food and beer delightful, but the crowd pretty old – no offense intended, being 80 will do that. The arrival of his sons bringing down the average age 7 or 8 years.
Everyone loves Pete!
The next day, heading to St. Pete for our niece Sammi’s law school graduation.
She’s an exec with the Tampa Bay Rays, attending law school part time, a 4-year journey.
She’s lived in St. Pete working for the Rays, for 13 years, and has her spots. Many of which we visited. Enjoying them all.
Aside from the graduation and following party on Saturday night, the weekend’s highlight the Friday Rays game.
We definitely knew she was an exec when allowed to park in the player’s lot, entering through the player’s entrance – a cool personal first.
It got better: Access to the level with the free buffet, free drinks, the whole schmear.
The Rays won and the new roof looked great!
The best part though: Everyone loves Sammi!
As one would expect, the graduation ceremony focused optimistically on the future.
Once through the multitude of university officials – Congratulations Graduates! Take 8! – the keynote speaker talked about the need to build a life plan; but Plan B may be required. His generational career change the internet, indicating AI as their life/career change.
So impressed I bought 5 shares of Anthropic.
He added some other ‘life-thoughts’, like “Never eat anything bigger than your head”, which made us rethink how to serve the watermelon at the party.
From where I sat, he looked human, unlike the AI Tom Bradys that have been ‘speaking’ at the other commencements.
The party followed, at her local brewery spot. F U N! Who knew pizza paired so beautifully with beer?
Three of her college friends came for the weekend, offsetting the average party age increase due to My Captor, her parents and me.
Two similar celebrations of much loved people, with very different views of what lies ahead.
With different calculations of the potential number of days each will be gifted.
No matter your age, be like Pete and Sammi: Wake each day and live life to the fullest.
Knowing it may end at any moment, savor it while you can!
Every day a gift from God: Honor Him – and yourself – by making the most of it!
‘LOVE IS NOT ENOUGH’ AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM OR THE OCCASIONAL LOCAL BOOKSTORE. A GRIPPING STORY OF FAMILY LOVE AND LOSS, AND RECOVERY.
If you’ve bought a copy, leave a review – or buy one for a friend who has suffered from mental health or addiction issues. If you haven’t bought a copy – shame on you!
I’d be interested how it would work as a book club selection ….I’m available for zoom call-ins.