Focused at Fifty

My last shift bartending at the Firehouse was on this past Sunday. It was uneventful, thankfully, as one certain crazy person did not show up. Several good friends did show up which totally made my rather long day and evening. I arrived at 12 noon looking forward to a rather sleepy Sunday before Memorial Day.  After opening, an older bar regular named Brian came in. I think he is in his late 60's but due to the hardships and knocks of life, looks past 70. Brian dispenses advice with the thoughtfulness of a wise old sage. He speaks softly and deliberately. He always means what he says. It was an honor to spend my early Sundays speaking with him over his Camels, Yuengling Premium, and Crown Royal shots. Brian had brought me in some National Geographic's to read now that he was done with them. He was very happy to pass on the magazines as he hates throwing them out.  We had one of our great in depth conversations and shoved off about 1:30 bidding me farewell. I was hap...

At work, we have various activities and contests put on by a volunteer committee.  The most recent was a baby picture contest. You submitted your baby or childhood picture and people tried to figure out who's who.  It was fun seeing all of your coworker's baby pictures. The week prior, I pulled out a folder of school pictures from elementary through high school which my stepdad Barry had given to me after Mom had passed. It was a fun albeit bittersweet trip down memory lane. I came across a picture of me in 7 th grade so horrendous that I had to have a retake. The retake came out really good but the first one, UGH. I am still to this day mortified by how bad it was. The evil photographer had taken it when I was speaking and leaning forward. My mouth was agape catching me in midsentence. I looked instead like I was throwing up mid-seizure. It was just awful. I shudder at the sight of it. That one remains buried in the pile. You will NEVER see it.  Marc in First Gr...

Some friendships are like walking sticks. Others, like stepping stones. This concept is courtesy of my dear 2nd mom, Martha. I have always liked it. You have friends which stay with you through life and help you get through those tough times. These long term friendships are your walking sticks. Other friends are stepping stones in your life. They are the ones you connect with at different periods of your life. The time may be brief or over several times, in and out of your life.  It may be good and meaningful but it is just a blip on the radar. And there is nothing wrong with this! Friendships are an interesting concept. I have wanted to write a blog for awhile now on them and kept skipping around on how to approach the topic. I find friendships are a constantly evolving abstract in one’s life. We are forced to attend elementary and high school with these other kids that we don’t know. That is our first experience with friendship. Most of us eventually develop bond...

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers out there including my close family and friends that are Moms.  I marvel at how you raise or have raised your kids. I have great admiration for anyone that is a parent. You definitely deserve this day! It is a tough time of the year for those of us that have lost our Moms. I wanted to let them know I was thinking about them as well.  Some have just lost their Moms this past year. It will be a difficult holiday for you and I wish I could make it easier. Time does help, that's all I can say.  I was recently happy to discover two facts about my Mom (who passed away in 2009) that I did not know before.  Learning things like this, no matter how minor, brings joy that you would not believe. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MOM. I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU. The first is that a couple weeks ago I was listening to a favorite RnB song "Better Days" by the great American Jazz singer Dianne Reeves. It is an uplifting but bittersweet son...

I wanted to explain some bar etiquette to all my friends out there. Most of you know this but there are a couple which may need a refresher course. When you frequent the same neighborhood bar, you become friends with the bartender. As your bartender, I really enjoy seeing my regular patrons. It's a fun job, I get to talk with everyone. If you know me, you know I love to talk.  I pride myself on remembering someone's name, what he or she drinks and immediately getting it for them when they arrive.  There are others which come into the bar which I do not know as well but I still strive to treat them with the same politeness, courtesy, and respect as I do everyone else. I make a point to spend time and chat with each person. I do this for the ones that I do not particularly care for.  It is part of the job. Remember that. The way I figure, I represent the bar or restaurant as a sort of a diplomat of the establishment. You, the patron, ...

About three months ago, I started having pain and swelling in my knees. I could get down but then needed to pull myself back up. I thought the reason was that I was working out too much. Then I remembered that I wasn't working out at all that month. I was on a "holiday hiatus."   What holiday you ask? Umm, January 19 th National Popcorn Day.   Anyway, maybe the pain was due to a lack of working out?   Hmmm. An unanswered question that I promptly ignored as I shoved another handful of buttered popcorn into my mouth and washed it down with a glass of red wine. Yes, I am the epitome of class.  I then realized that those years of cross-country running and track have finally caught up with me! I started working out once again after I realized that the lumbar support I felt on my car seat was actually my back-fat bulging from my sides. Now that's a pleasant statement. But getting into shape takes time. I know my recent (ahem) weight gain, although only 10 … ...

With the twin bombings at the Boston Marathon just a day old, the sights and sounds of the explosion are raw and seared into our minds.   How could this happen again?   We now have bombings which recently have only occurred in war torn countries like Syria, Iraq, or Afghanistan. It is too close for comfort and yet, surreal. That is until you see the carnage splashed across the news and social media outlets.   Only then do you begin to see what these poor people went through: the rivers and splatters of blood across the sidewalk; discarded bags, jackets, and purses; blown off shoes and ripped clothing strewn about, bloody American flags trampled on the ground.   Injured people are seen: some missing limbs and others being dragged, wheeled, or carried away to emergency care. And then the surreal became all too real. One man lost both of his legs. An eight year old boy, Martin Richard, died. His sister lost her leg. The mother has a brain injury. Two o...