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Writer's picturefmblum

Screw The Coronavirus!

Updated: Jan 2, 2021

When the first news of the coronavirus hit, the age group that was most at risk were those

over age 65. I took a deep breath and reveled in the fact that I was safe since I am only 63. I thanked God and my parents for not meeting and having me 2 years earlier. It reinforced my mantra that while I was getting older that I had not gotten old.

Then you know what happened. They lowered the age of the at risk group to 60. Screw that! Safe one minute and the next I'm at risk. What's next? Taking away my driver’s license and enforced early bird dinners. I refuse to eat dinner at 4 in the afternoon and I don't want rice pudding for desert. I'm not moving to Florida and to hell with always wearing sweat pants.



But after my insanity subsided and my rant burned itself out, I thought about what this means for me in a larger sense. I'm not so stupid as to fully adopt the idea that age is only a state of mind. Two minutes of playing basketball with my teenage sons puts that idea to rest. Both of the boys are now taller than I am and it really hurts when they run onto me on a way to a layup. However, assuming good health and accepting that your jump shoot is not as good as I wrongly remember it ever was, I'm not ready to apply for admission to the over the hill club.

There are many things that I do better now than I could ever do when I was a teenager. I have much more patience and take comfort in the knowledge that there is much I do not know. Being comfortable in what you do not know permits you to be inquisitive and experience the joy of learning. There is so much in the world that I know little or nothing about, even after all the years that I've been on this earth. The most obvious thing is woman. They are still an enigma.


There is also philosophy and the relationship between humans and God. One unanswered question is if God is all powerful and just how do you explain why all the all the good foods are bad for you? Or how do you reconcile God and the Boston Celtics. If God is truly all knowing wouldn't he be a Lakers fan? Should't have Jerry West won multiple championships? You could stay up all night trying to answer these questions.


I also finally have the perspective to understand what is important and what is not. To understand that not everything is important and being able to take things in stride is critical to mental health. I have the experience that I have earned in making 63 years of mistakes. Its more than the traditional lessons. Like don't eat yellow snow. Or don't count you chickens before they hatch.



I have seen things evolve and change and sometimes stay the same. I have been blessed with being able to travel the world and the understanding that it brings that I and my family are so just damn lucky to live where we do and in the style that we have cultivated.

So screw the coronavirus! I may not have the same jump shot that I really never had before, but I'll take what I have and happily live with it. At least that is my view from the 63rd floor.


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