Seriously

Well, here it is. I am sixty-four today and spending the evening alone. My significant other is out of the country and all my children live in other cities. The house is very quiet and I am finding it difficult to fall asleep.

Thinking back to 1963, I remember thinking how different the world would be by this date, but I must admit I am a little disappointed. I expected cancer and heart disease would have been conquered by now. I thought we would be traveling to other planets and I thought education would have spread peace throughout the world. My generation is the one who worked in the Peace Corps and died in Vietnam. My generation brought in the Age of Aquarius and corporate greed. Whenever we take a step forward, something else jumps the track.

My children are adults and taking on the problems of life, while I am thinking about drawing Social Security and getting on Medicare. I have tried to teach them to be enthusiastic about life, but not take themselves as seriously as I have, because that is what lead me to this little disappointment. Over-reaching our ability to build a Great Society has plagued us from the time of King David, Alexander the Great, Augustus Caesar right on down to LBJ. Now our new leader is thinking he can do the same.

All in all, it has been an interesting and productive life, but I wish I had taken a little more time for fun and love. This serious stuff will never be finished because someone is always in the way. The best we can expect is to move forward in small steps and that journey takes more time than I have left.