How Old is Old?

What is that all about? How old is old? When someone says, "he is older," what does that mean. I used to think, you know, in my wise teen years, that 30 was old, then thirty came, so 40 started seeming old... and so on and so on. So what is old.Is it all in our experiences? Is it all in our appearence? Is it all in our state of mind?

I opt for the last, as I fit the other two all too well. I have experience. Too long of a story to tell, but trust me. For sake of the argument, as everyone says, "I've been around," or "It's a long story," the abridged version is this:

Normal childhood, didn't do drugs, alright in college, dated, married, divorced, dated, dumped, dated, married, kids... wait, wait... dairy farmed, head animal keeper at a zoo, farmed, Amish friends, lived in a big town, lived in a small town (one traffic light) lived in a basement the size of a bathroom, lived in a dump, had a truck the the wheels fell of... literally... almost, repeat almost, bankrupt, back on track, met the love of my life, brought me to the life I love, had the two best kids anyone could ever have, they became my life... there is more, but why continue.

So experience; check, outward appearence... uh oh... I've had gray hair and a beard since I was 25. Been asked if I was the father of my 40 year old brother in law... someone thought I was my 50 + year old uncle! Man! On top of that, already had a angiogram, multiple cat scans, all kinds of EKG's, and now, my one thing I liked... my eyes... are my nemesis. Need a new cornea, and will that work, who knows. What does that mean. I may lose my eye. Oh well, I have another one right... yeah, but that scares the hell out of me.

So state of mind... and I'm sticking to it. Cause I feel 30, look 40, have the experience of 50... yet today I turn 33. Lead me on, God... I follow your footprints.

Our Crazy Ride!

We begin this online documentation of our life as a way to preserve what we have... our memories. Memories are made everyday in our family, and as quickly as they happen, they float away. We can try to hold on, but the human mind only has so much room. We can write them with pen and paper, but most of the time, dad throws them away. Pictures help, but can only go so far. So we begin here. Our journal of life... in what words can say.

And how quickly life is thrown at us. One fall day we are publicly affirming our love for one another, then we are welcoming our first child, then a second. And all that happens in between those moments. We ride the ride the best we can, knowing that we are not in control. The only thing we have is our faith in God and the belief that he is always steering us in the right direction. He gives us ups and downs. And while the highs are very high, the lows can be very low. We may wander every now and then what these bumps in the road mean, but we always take them together, as a family. Enjoy the ride!