The Saturday Morning Post : Getting Older Today

A comment before my scheduled post today.  I am so glad to see the student loan debt forgiveness.  I benefited from a public interest student loan debt forgiveness plan that the State of Kentucky had, $10,000 and a year's interest taken off my balance, allowed me to pay off my debt in a little over 7 years.  I paid for most of my education.  For undergrad with the exception of one semester (my midlife crisis) I worked full time, went to school part time and paid as I went (at a nice expensive private school.)  For law school I was a full time student, and finished with a little over $45,000 in loans in 1999.  The student loan payments were more than our mortgage payment, and I went into public service work, at a modest salary.  For years I worked 50 hours a week and moonlighted to have a life and pay the debt. A little help in paying it off, was such a great relief. I hope everyone who benefits from today's forgiveness feels the same.  We are one of the few countries that treats higher education as a profit making business, instead of the building block of a stronger country.  Everything we can do to lessen the burden, makes us all stronger.  End of rant, onto my Birthday. 

It is my birthday.  I was born a long - long time ago, in a land far-far away from here.  Very early in the morning.  

I am always a little surprised by my age.  I am getting very near to retirement age.  And I sometimes wonder where the past 40 years have gone.  I have been filing tax returns for 50 years.  

I do believe getting old beats the alternative. Besides I am too old to die young.  

My father lamented that he had lived too long when his ability to enjoy life diminished and each day was a struggle.  There is a line in a Jimmy Buffett song, I'd rather die while I am living, than live when I am dead.  

When I was young, I never imagined that I would have the education that  I have, that I would have traveled to all of the places I have, experienced the adventures I have.  All in all, life is good to me.  

So today will be a trip to the farmers market, hopefully the pastry boy is in.  A little blogging.  A nice dinner - we will probably go out.  Gifts are limited these days.  My Sweet Bear always seems to find something fun and unexpected.  With a small family, that continues to shrink, there are not a lot of greetings.  

What does the next year hold?  More travel, I committed to taking a couple of major trips a year as long as I am working, it is good for my psyche.  I am finalizing plans for retirement, by this time next year I may be able to count the remaining months of work on the fingers of one hand.  

My wish, another decade or two of enjoying life.