The days of our life are seventy years,
or perhaps eighty, if we are strong;
even then their span is only toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.
- Psalm 90, Verse 10, NRSVCE
In older translations, that first line is often rendered the more poetic “threescore and ten.”
Whatever the case, today I hit that mark.
I am aiming for the second figure, though. I’ve always said my goal is 80, and everything after that is gravy.
God willing, 80+ is a realistic possibility. One of my grandfathers died at 96, the other at 94, one grandmother died just short of her 92nd, and the other grandmother died at 87.
Now my parents did die before they hit 80 - dad just short of 78 and mom just short of 72. But they were both heavy smokers, and dad was really overweight. They battled cancers, and in dad’s case, multiple strokes.
I don’t smoke - just flirted with smoking a pipe when I wanted to be a cool college student - I watch my diet, and I try to keep my weight under control, though not always successfully (I’m currently 202 pounds on a 6 foot frame).
The second part of the verse gloomily mentions “only toil and trouble.”
Okay, I have had some woes in my life. My parents spent their last years battling illness. My brother - my only sibling - was murdered at 27. Several of my friends - including my best friend from high school - have died in recent years. I’ve had some family troubles, including being married to a woman with mental illness.
For various reasons I have become estranged from some family members and friends. I have a bad temper, I tend to allow my emotions to subvert my reason, and I have a big mouth, and over those years those have caused me all sorts of toil and trouble.
Indeed, there are times when I look back at things I’ve said and done and feel shame and pain. Me culpa.
But on the whole, life has been good. That first marriage ended with an easy annulment, and this summer I will celebrate 33 years of marriage to a wonderful woman.
We raised three daughters who all graduated college and are now off pursuing their careers.
I am a professed Secular Franciscan.
I enjoyed careers as a teacher and a reporter/editor. I also worked on public radio part time for more than 20 years as an announcer, local host, newscaster, and reporter.
In retirement, I have found plenty of fulfilling volunteer activities to keep me busy.
I regularly see my silly little poems published, and several of my plays were produced locally. At schools I have directed a number of plays.
I have acted in community theater - my favorite role was Prospero in a production of The Tempest. I was also part of the cast on a local cable television show, and even in a short parody horror film. For the last 17 years I have been a professional Santa. I’ve been a children’s entertainer (storyteller and musician), and performed as a guitarist and singer at a number of local fairs, festivals, and coffeehouses. I even got to be a backup singer for Peter, Paul, and Mary for one of their Christmas shows.
I went sky diving. I went 1,200 feet underground in a salt mine (and they turned off the lights at one point - Aiee!). I slid down Mount Hood when a sudden July snowstorm hit. I was part of the crowd at the then largest rock concert (Watkins Glen, 1973). I swam in the Pacific, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic (where I was chased by a shark one night).
I could go on. But the point is that at 70 I can look back at so many blessings, adventures, and opportunities. And God willing, I look forward to more.
At least 10 years’ worth.
After that, it’ll all be gravy.
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