99th Post: A Look to the Past

For my 99th post, I thought I would dredge some things up from the past, from over 10 years ago....

A pencil rendering for a painting I later sold on eBay for $0.99.

And a little ramble from my oldest journal......

“Let me tell you a story about getting older. Kind of sometimes getting wiser, but really only learning from the process of acquiring years and packing them into a belly that hangs desperately over my belt.

I suppose to talk about getting old it must be assumed that one was once young, and I was a long time ago. I was an 18 year old boy. I could argue that I was a man in many respects, but I won’t. I was a boy and in many ways I could probably argue that I still am, but I won’t. I’ll just say that nothing turns a boy into a man, back into a boy better than aging.

It isn’t a pretty sight. Time takes on a whole new meaning when you get older. It’s never “Oh look at the time, where did it go?” I always think “Man! It’s so early!” And I’ll continue to think that way until one morning when I wake up and start thinking the other way.

I’ve got to keep looking at time as a forward motion. Once you pause and look back, you’re a goner. I’m not talking about the bend and smell the flowers pause either. I’m talking twist your head around and look down that long hill of life you’ve climbed and realizing there’s a mountain in front of you that you’re never going to finish climbing.

I’m talking taking a look in the rearview and instead of your buddy following you to the bar, there’s three cop cars with their sirens screaming.

So I pulled over. Great. I’ve got bills stacked up, I don’t have cash to pay for a ticket.

You know, the same stuff that runs through everyone when they get caught doing 40 in a 25.

I reached for my registration. I keep it in the glove box with a boatload of Taco Bell napkins and a backup supply of air fresheners. I’m always concerned with how my car smells, but usually only when someone is riding with me, which isn’t often.”