Half Past the Turn of The Back Nine

Today I turned 65 years old. But as my daughter says I still have a young soul. I am blessed beyond belief. My sweet wife keeps reminding me that I could just draw Social Security and retire, but right now that just doesn’t feel right. There is always something to do on our property or around the house, but I have worked since I was ten years old and I’m not anxious to stop now. I would like to play more golf, hunt more and fish more, especially with my kids and grandkids. But my kids are usually too busy and my grandkids are only 8 and 9 and still can’t seem to be able to figure out how to hold a golf club right yet.

I’d like to do a re-write of the novel I wrote and published a week at a time in this column. I’d like to actually publish it. Those are all things I would like to do but for right now I feel like a shark that can never stop swimming and moving water through his gills or he will drop to the bottom of the ocean.

Lori and I plan to celebrate my birthday with two of our dear friends. Kim Kozeslki and her mom Nadine live just outside Forney. Kim and I were born on exactly the same day, March 1st 1956. When I first met her, I would teasingly introduce her as my sister. After all, besides being born on the same day, she is my Sister in Christ. Now there are people who think she is fraternal sister as well, so both Kim and I are glad to own it.

I checked with Four Winds Steakhouse that is off of I-20 in Eastern Kaufman County but found it is closed on Mondays. So, we decided to all go to the new Olive Garden Restaurant in Terrell. Of course, Lori and I love Olive Garden because we get two meals out of one like everyone else does. We fill up on minestrone soup and bread and take the entrée home to eat it later.

To use a golf metaphor, I’m not just past middle age, I’m pretty much half past the turn of the back nine of life, and that’s ok. I have grandkids and kids that I adore, (in that order), and I’m married to my college sweetheart and she still gives me butterflies. In August we will celebrate the 46th anniversary of the day I first met her at Abilene Christian University and our 43rd wedding anniversary. Since I first fell in love with her there is nothing I wanted more than to grow old with her. I just didn’t think that wish would come true so soon.