Yesterday was my 70th birthday. If you'll pardon a little graveyard humor, I'm at the place where the milestones are beginning to look like gravestones.
My wife Joyce planned a great birthday for me yesterday and we enjoyed it fully. We ate a vegetable lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, The Black Eyed Pea, and then spent a couple of hours at Barnes and Noble browsing. We then went to the Regal Streets 16 to see "Clash of the Titans," a 3D remake of the 1981 film of the same name. Yeah, it was a bit cheesy, but it was my birthday. Believe it or not, to us the monsters weren't the most impressive special effects, the flying horses were, especially Pegasus. The movie wasn't bad and we had lots of fun trying to remember the mythology. Since it was a rainy Tuesday and a matinee, the theater was empty. It felt like a private showing. When the movie ended we stopped next door for a brick oven pizza and beer and after that came home to frozen vanilla yogurt on top of Joyce's great apple crisp. A great day. So great we could do it again today. And tomorrow.
But of course we can't. You can't relive the past. Even if we tried really hard, some things would be different. There'd be people in the movie with us. We'd have a different waitress at the pizza place. You know what I mean.
And really, when people talk about doing something over from the past, it's something they screwed up, not something they enjoyed.
But reliving those screwups is impossible too. There aren't any second chances and in this life, despite what the New Agers who believe in reincarnation say, you don't get no "Next Go 'Round."
In my three score and ten, I had plenty of screwups that I'd like to change. But overall, I had a lot more experiences that I wouldn't change for anything and I'm thankful for that.
One of my favorite groups is the Old Crow Medicine Show. Here's a video of their great song, "The Next Go 'Round."
The Cumberland Post
My Backyard, Six Miles from the Cumberland River
Happy (belated) Birthday, Dan.
ReplyDeletere: I'm at the place where the milestones are beginning to look like gravestones.
You're only five years ahead of me, but I SO hear ya on that. I saved a couple o' suits from my previous life... for weddings and funerals... and the latter seem to get much more exposure than the former. But... it is what it is.
re: second chances. I hear ya on that one, too. But I'm in slight disagreement about replayin' the past. I'd love to have a second go-round on my thirties; it was just too much fun. At our age it's those sorts of memories that keep us holdin' on. Well, that and a Good Wife. I envy you for that.
Thanks Buck. I know what you mean about the suits; I've got a couple I've been having to wear too often lately too. And I'm with you on the memories. I've got a big coffee table book about cars from the 50's and another about those from the 60's; I spend a lot of time reading around in those and remembering the good ole days.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! Glad you had a good one.
ReplyDeleteDan, as to the Old Crow Medicine Show...man, I really envy those fellows. I tried the guitar, the fiddle, the banjo, and took 3 years of piano lessons. My piano teacher finally told Momma, "Anne, you're wasting your money." I always wanted to be a musician...just don't have it "in me."
ReplyDeleteAs to what Buck said, I'm 20 years behind you. And, I doubt that I'll reach 70...or even Buck's young 65.
As to what you wrote about your wonderful birthday with Mrs. Dan, and not being able to capture that moment again...I could not agree more. I tried it once or twice, and on those occasions I (we) found it to be "stale." Oh, we loved each other for the "effort," but we both knew we could have done better with a new idea.
"Next Go-Around,"...good grass for chewing...