June 2019 is just about in the books as today marks half the year gone.
It boggles my mind how fast the days, months and years fly by.
As I sit back and try to formulate what I’ll write today, a lot goes through my mind as does a lot of nothing.
I saw Jay Duffy at breakfast the other morning and he asked me what my day looked like. I responded that I had to pen my column. He asked me what I was going to write. My answer was … no clue.
After I told him I was but a few hours from my deadline without anything in mind to write, he told me he’d have to read my column for sure just to see what I came up with. Well Jay, this one’s for you!
Mother Nature took her time but it looks like we finally have summer. Thank goodness for that. I was starting to believe we were going to float down the Susquehanna River, ending up in the Chesapeake Bay.
We should never underestimate how much rain we need, but I had the surrender flag poised and ready to fly, so when I saw a bunch of mid-to-upper 80s, I was thrilled.
Wednesday was a perfect day. It was hot, the sun was blaring, I felt the humidity and I began to remember what summer is really like.
It was a mindless day, meaning I didn’t think about one single thing. I felt like I owed it to myself to (pardon the pun) soak up the sun.
Sun and summer bring me back to playing baseball (and later tennis), going to the community pool, hanging with friends and being a kid.
Wednesday was the closest thing to being on summer recess from school. Being an adult isn’t as much fun.
I got to go for a ride, grabbed an ice cream, played miniature golf, ate out and made an evening trip to Lowe’s. It was great.
Why can’t life be like that every day? Oh yeah, that’s called retirement.
Sometimes, I’ll take a late night cruise and grab my buddy Paul Argenio for the ride. Paul is a lifelong friend, classmate and former neighbor.
After having a successful career in human resources, he took an early retirement at 59 and is enjoying his life.
He told me last week being retired this time of year makes him feel like a college kid on summer break.
No longer does he have to get up early for work, put on a suit and deal with day-to-day activities. He can stay up as long as he wants, go to the gym whenever he wishes and have more time for his wife Barbi who has a flex schedule at her job, making it easier for them to be home at the same time.
When I look at Paul, I think to myself I did it all wrong for so many years. Instead of being retired, I’m still plugging away with no end in sight.
It’s not just Paul. Many other friends/classmates are either retired, going to retire soon or looking to retire in a few short years.
Not me. I’ll have to work until the end.
They say you shouldn’t have to live life with regrets but whoever made that up must have had a perfect life.
I have TONS of regrets.
Here’s the thing — some times you can get a second chance in life and other times, there’s no “do over.”
You can’t erase the past and you can’t go back in time.
I admire Paul in a lot of ways, but I can’t be jealous of what he’s done and accomplished in his life or of his material items. That would be wrong and it’s not my style anyway.
As the saying goes, “You make your bed, now you have to lie in it.” Which reminds me of another saying, “It is what it is.”
Oh sure, there are things I can do to change some things, but the really big things I cannot change at all.
I’m not saying Paul did exactly what he was supposed to do in life to get where he is today because everyone’s case is different. I set up a business in the middle of the 80s and, if I were business savvy, who knows, I could be financially well off today.
Paul ended up working for a major corporations while mixing in self-employment for a period of time. Sometimes I wished I worked for someone else instead of being self-employed or a subcontractor my entire career.
If anyone reading this just graduated from high school or college, heed my advice, and don’t go down the road of self-employment unless if you know it’s a sure bet and you can be self-made by the age of 35.
It’s very hard to be a success story when you’re building something from the bottom so choose your career moves wisely.
There you have it, Jay Duffy … column number 26 for 2019 is in the books. Now to move on to the next 26.
Quote of the week
“If you would know strength and patience, welcome the company of trees.” – Hal Borland, American author
Thought of the week
“One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted to do. Do it now.” – Paul Coelho, Brazilian novelist
Bumper sticker
“Romance is tempestuous. Love is calm.” – Mason Cooley, American professor
