23 June 2023 ~ SIXTY-FIVE; TODAY

If you are younger than that, you might put me into a category of ‘really old’.  Not!

If you’re older than that, you may think it’s no big deal.  Well, driving your car around is no big deal either; but that day when you passed your driving test… milestone!  Celebration.  Recognition.  Jubilation.  After that you just get on with it. 

That is what sixty-five means to me today.  A bit of a celebration and then onwards and upwards.

Dad died in his fifties and his dad in his sixties.  I am hoping to attain a seventyish number on my stone, preferably high seventies!

Much like yourselves I have held several different titles in my life.  Some are professional, some are family titles, some titles aren’t repeatable!  My most coveted title is grandad (English spelling) to Jack; this young man has changed my outlook on life in a most dramatic manner.  

Here’s the facts about sixty-five.  By the time you get here you should have achieved certain things with all your journeys round the sun.  Your career is sorted, hopefully you have a home sorted.  In fact, most things should be sorted to a certain extent.  Why?  Because you can’t just get through each year of your life, you need to get something from each year of your life; that’s called achievement.

What comes next at sixty-five for me?  More of the same.  I’m still doing what I love.  The small group of professionals that I work with at Flightline Training Services is incredibly rewarding and I love being able to train Aircraft Maintenance Engineers all over the world using greenscreen technology from my home studio/office/man-cave.  I have occasional travel instead of constant travel.

My new goal in life is to earn the love and respect of my beautiful grandson, Jack.  I am even back into diaper changing.  I want to show Jack how to skip stones.  I want to show him the North Star and how to use the night skies to find his way.  I want him to learn to play my own grandad’s ukelele and his own grandad’s guitar.  I want to watch this nine-months old beautiful boy grow into a man of character.  I want to be able to stand tall, by his side when he is all grown up and strong.  I want him to want to change my diaper if that day ever comes.  No hurry, too much fun to be had first, and achievements.

Truly humbled by all the birthday wishes, and it’s true that I do enjoy a bit of recognition now and then; but don’t we all on occasion?  Let there be many more, for all of us.  Cheers to that!