75

Yesterday I was in a meeting where the process of aging was being discussed. One of the crew there made the comment that he felt anything after 75 was gravy. He will consider it a life well lived once he hits 75, and anything beyond that is just bonus goodness.

Today puts me in the realm of being around halfway to that 'magical number'.

I've heard it said that people come into your life for a reason, that things happen 'for a reason.' I'm not sure I buy the whole "for a reason" thing, but I do know that the people in my life can pass on through quickly or they can pull up a chair and stick around for awhile.

I've been very fortunate to have a lot of folks stick around a long time, and who I am today reflects those relationships.

The last few days, I've felt a lot of deep satisfaction at my life and where I am. Which, for various reasons, makes me think of a friend of mine whose focus in life was often how to best keep himself uncomfortable. I learned a lot of things from him, but one of the more important things was not to be afraid of being uncomfortable in life. When you are uncomfortable, you learn, you think differently, you stretch yourself, and you grow. When you aren't afraid to think outside the box, different from the crowd, question the CW - that's when you figure out what you really think, and what you really want out of life.

There's no way I'd start my 38th year with this kind of peace if I hadn't learned how to do that, and I will always be grateful for it.