At the time I'm writing this, 2016 is a little over 7 and a half hours old. I've been thinking about this new year on and off for about the past 5 years.
2016 marks the 100 anniversary of the birth of my father. That's really quite something! I'll ask Kelly Cusey, and Tom and Patrick Moughan, my niece and nephews..... how you might feel in 2049 when you realize that your Dad was born 100 years earlier?
Lea Ann and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary in 2015. My grandparents on my mother's side would have noted their 100th wedding anniversary that year. It's mentally staggering to me that I knew my grandparents and interacted with them 50 years ago. Our third grade class helped honor them on their 50th wedding anniversary in 1965. We put on a play/skit in their living room; I was 10 years old at the time.
On January 16th I'll have been working for Luzerne County for 40 years. I am the old man in the office. That's not a bad thing, as my co-workers are wonderful, eager, accomplished and appreciative. I have it good, and love my work. My 40 years of service pales in comparison to my Sister's 50 years in the service of God with the Sisters of Christian Charity being celebrated this year.
Ten years ago when I turned 50 I fell into a bit of a funk. The first couple of weeks after my birthday I know I was a bit depressed. I guess I wasn't ready to be 50 years old. My next milestone will be different!
This month I'll mark my 60th birthday, and I'm ready to jump into the next decade of life. We're planning wholesale changes in lifestyle for this decade. Lea Ann and I have purchased a home in Florida for our retirement. We're using the house now as a vacation destinatiion, located very near LA's father in Ocala.
We haven't set an official retirement date, but the countdown clock has started. I'll start collecting Social Security in two more years, and that should go a long way toward us taking the plunge.
I think it's interesting that many of my friends left Wyoming Valley fairly early in life, and have left their mark in other regions of the country, as I stayed put.
Soon it will be my turn to leave home, but not to make a mark elsewhere. I hope that I've made my mark here.
And now 2016 is almost 9 hours old. I'm all set for the next 365 days and 15 hours left in 2016.
Happy New Year!
