Hold Onto …32…As Long As You Can?

Growing up in central Missouri, I tell folks I honestly lived every song John Cougar Mellencamp ever wrote. Small town, mid-America, young love, racing cars, all that stuff. In Mellencamp’s “Jack and Diane”, I also took a good bit of my philosophy on young life: Hold onto 16 as long as you can, changes come around real soon and make us women and men.”
I can honestly tell you I dreaded-flat hated turning 17. Why? Because I could no longer hold onto 16.
So, today is my birthday. And 16 has now doubled to 32. Freaking 32. Part of me asks, “Where has time gone?” and the other part of me says, “The last 32 years have been one hell of a ride!” Somewhere in the middle, I find what I now know; something I could not have fully known as a 16 year old. That is, life is a choice. I choose my life to be filled with good. Therefore, it is. It’s all a choice.
If anyone doesn’t believe that, then they’ve purposefully chosen to close their eyes to all the good life can(and does) offer.
Thanks to my fiance, Marvelyne, and my soon-to-be married into family for such a great day! A bunch of new biz clothes, a great lunch at a place with “Jimmy Buffett for President” shirts hanging in the lobby, a fat nap this afternoon, getting my name mentioned on the Dave Glover Show, and then cooking a birthday bananas foster….ah, life is good!