Best if Used By: September 6th, 2025
Well, I’ve made it—so to speak. Today I crest the average life expectancy for a male born in the United States on November 18th, 1949. Half my fellows from that day are, theoretically, dead. RIP. Nevertheless, without any special effort on my part, I’ve joined the half still here. We press on.
Lately, I find it hard to break away from social media, to avoid getting caught up in the endless scroll—silly videos, recycled memes, the usual distractions. I keep promising myself to steal away a bit of time to sit and read, or to write and gather my thoughts.
Even now, as I write this, my thoughts feel scattered. I write, delete, rewrite. When I finally land on an idea worth a paragraph or two, I nitpick the words—changing, parsing, trying to get things just right—only to realize the whole piece makes little sense.
I’m often hesitant to write exactly what I want. Can I really share what I’m thinking? About life, beliefs, or reality—about things that might offend the few, if not the many. Perhaps that’s why I enjoy writing “letters to my congressman.” When I write to Tim, I feel more inclined to be honest and frank, having a bit of fun, knowing full well the letters go, if not unread, certainly unconsidered.
Once something is written, the struggle is: what next? Facebook? Substack? A forgotten drawer? Or simply delete. If I’m wise—and sometimes I am—that last option is usually best. It remains to be seen what happens today.
In any case, to celebrate my “once in a lifetime” milestone, Irene and I have dinner reservations at the only decent place around here—Atlas, in nearby Brooklyn. “Fresh, global flavors. Upbeat, relaxed vibe. Genuine hospitality.” Actually, it’s quite good—excellent food and reasonable, provided you don’t drink. Well, so much for that.
So, to finish my initial thought:
A quick check on SSA.gov shows that, based on my current status, I should live to 87.3 years, with an expiration date of March 8th, 2037.
I’ll try to send Tim a note on the 7th.
Take care.
—Mark
Happy belated birthday. Every day Gary and I remind ourselves to be grateful that in spite of some health issues lately, we are still alive and kicking. Still able to do all the things we enjoy, and still alert and curious. Life longing learning is the key to happiness for us! I hope you will continue to share your musings. I enjoy reading them.