Growing old disgracefully

By now it's apparent that I'm not doing things the way they're supposed to be done. By my age, I probably should wear clothes on a more consistent basis, not have shoulder length hair, be married to a hot young babe, have a gay dog, still aspire to be a musician and beach bum, combine cussing with being a minister, and hang around a bunch of people exhibiting similar traits.

I continue to disappoint my Mother (this time I'm missing the family Christmas dinner to go to Key West), receive regular notes from people praying for me  (though many are praying that I do go to hell), have drawn the wrath of the entire Tybee Island Judicial System and whenever I talk to Shirley Sessions she just asks, "Really Mike? Really?"

It appears I am growing old disgracefully.

That's alright. I lived middle age disgracefully too ... young adulthood ... most of my adolescence ... and I seem to remember peeing on my brother David when we shared a crib.

I feel like Keith Richards.

It's had its perks though.

I've been to the places in the world I've wanted, been part of really cool movements, won a lot of awards, ran with the Olympic Torch, have books, been on television and wore suits. There's been standing ovations, adoration, invitations to do most everything and groupies.

Beginning as minister at the Jefferson Street Baptist Chapel, the first Director of the Louisville Coalition for the Homeless, President & CEO of Union Mission, Board member of everything from the International Street Medicine Institute to a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation national program, it's been fun!

"What I like about you," she suddenly said in the middle of steak salads at Longhorns, "and what I want buy from you is you keep reforming yourself. You're not content with who you were. You're always moving on to who you want to be."

I ordered wine so we could toast.

She laughed and said she couldn't. She had meetings.

"Well," I replied, "then you're going to have a hard time reforming yourself."

After a thoughtful moment she raised her glass.

I'm only 56 and there is lots that I'm thankful for, mostly the people who love me, my family, where I live, where I go and where I'm going.

The where I'm going part is a bit fuzzy right now.

This is what I do know. My son watches Jimmy Valvano's speech at the ESPY awards when he was dying with cancer. He gives good advice in it. There are three things to do every day ... laugh ... think ... allow your emotions to move you to tears.

I try to do that every day and succeed more often than not.

I'm happy with where its gotten me so far.

I can't wait to see where I'm going.


(Image from www.starpulse.com)