So, Today I Am 70 Years Old...

So, today I am 70 years old. The majority of my body parts still work as originally designed, and I still have most of them. Who really needs a gall bladder anyway?

Socrates said that the unexamined life is not worth living. Every once in a while it is good to sit down and look at where you have been. This can help us plan for the future. Look back at what your goals were 20-30 years ago and then examine what really happened. Praise yourself for accomplishments, forgive yourself for failures (those goals were stupid anyway), and put together a roadmap for the next 20-30 years. Sitting around and watching other people do interesting things does not appeal to me, so on to review and plan.

The Last 30 Years - I accomplished 5 big things

·        I found the love of my life and married her. After a divorce, a failed relationship and numerous false starts, it finally happened for me. Linda, my best friend and partner, accepted me as I was and who I have become. I am now content with this part of my life.

My "daughter"

Linda

      After a lifetime of lacking the ability to control my weight, I got healthy and fit. At age 60 I lost 110 pounds and changed my life. I was on the way to an early grave preceded by diabetes and a depressing existence. It is still a battle. I put back on 15 pounds in 10 years but am getting rid of it, hopefully for good.

Charlie Age 51

Charlie Age 60

   

                                        

Charlie 61

  Charlie 61

Charlie 62

       

      I figured out what I want to do when I grow up (business wise). I love technology, particularly computers. I also like teaching and mentoring people, and like most people I like getting paid well. That all came together when I and two partners started Stony Point (www.stonyp.com). We have 25 employees and are growing nicely.

          I have maintained a relationship with my little brother. Actually he is not a “blood relative”, but he is my brother. We have been together for about 45 years. John Wilson and I were the first matched pair of Big Brother/Little Brother of the Willingboro Big Brother / Big Sisters. He was 11 at the time. His son is my godson.

John & my Godson

         I learned to focus on and appreciate this moment in time. My life had always been preparing for the the next big thing so much that I couldn’t appreciate where I was. Now, things that I do aren’t just things, they are experiences to be treasured. Sitting on the back porch with Linda figuring out how we together will face a challenge is somehow relaxing. Walking with Chester, my dog, to the barn to muck stalls becomes an outing with exercise. Life seen through a different lens can sharpen your focus so you can see things more clearly.

So enough of that sappy stuff. What am I going to do until my warranty runs out? Numero uno, I am going to continue doing the stuff I enjoyed from the last 30 years for as long as my body holds up. Linda and I will take more trail rides, she on her horse Ronnie and me on my faithful surefooted mule Stony. I also want to ramp up volunteer work to give back or to give to those less fortunate, some of which will be animals. I have had the idea of creating a program like Big Brothers but for grandparents. Sometimes the grandparents of children just aren’t available and grandparents can be a valuable part of a child’s development. We need to figure out how to put the resources, older folks with available time, together with children in need. I want to read and write more, and keep in touch with old friends. And, I want to spend time in my woodshop.

Over the next couple of months, I will firm up these plans and start acting on them. Time is speeding up so it is time to work on them. I hope you take the time to look backwards and forwards. It makes life more rewarding.

Written by Charlie Sharp 7/27/2016 - Older and wiser than he was yesterday!