Today’s the day and I’ve been getting messages and phone calls from all over the world. I’m grateful to have so many friends and to have shared time, books, good food, powder turns, long runs, sunny beaches, exotic locations, funny stories, political arguments and much much more with them over the years. It feels great and I feel great. I’m happy to be alive and well even though the world outside a mess and smart men and women who should know better are bickering over insignificant things while the planet melts down under the pressure of climate change, fracking, ISIS, Ebola, HIV, grinding poverty, greed and racist bullshit I’m optimistic that we and it will endure.
I love my life – my kids, my wife, my friends, my home and but I can’t deny that my future is not as long as my past. I love country-rock and I often hear lyrics that catch the moment or sentiment perfectly. A couple of months ago I blogged about Jimmy Buffett and last week I heard this song by the Zac Brown Band that captured the moment as I was thinking about my upcoming birthday. Both the words and music are positive and upbeat.
You keep your heart above your head and your eyes wide open
So this world can’t find a way to leave you cold
And you know you’re not the only ship out on the ocean
Save your strength for things that you can change
Forgive the one’s you can’t.
You gotta let it go.
Looking back now on my life I can’t say that I regret it
And all the places that I ended up, not the way Ma would’ve had it
But you only get one chance in life to leave your mark upon it
So when that pony come riding by you better set your sweet ass on it.
You can listen to it on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usr3J4PbreY
To all the friends who have made my life so rich – thank you.
