Here in the northern hemisphere, autumn is not all that far from drawing to a close. Winter soon will arrive. Having spent way too little time admiring the changing colors of tree leaves this autumn, a week and a half ago I decided to try and rectify the situation by taking a walk around my suburban neighborhood. And so, after murmuring a fond I’ll be back to the sofa I’d been resting my bony ass upon, out the door I went. Though many trees had already dropped all or most of their leaves, I quickly discovered that some still were proudly displaying plenty of their wares. Those leaves, masterpieces in shades of amber, burgundy, russet and gold, moved me. I was glad to be around them.
It wouldn’t be long, of course, before just about every deciduous tree was bare. Which is why, as I strode along, I found myself thinking about time’s relentless forward thrust. Man, not only will winter soon arrive, 2024 will too. Huh? For me, 2022 absolutely zoomed by. And 2023 is setting an even faster pace. It’s scary how time seems to accelerate when we get up there in years.
And there’s no question that I’m up there. I’m 76, for crying out loud, a number that stuns me. In my mind I may be 45 or 50, but the mirror tells a different story. As does this obvious truth: Even if I remain above ground for another 20 or more years, I’m ridiculously closer to the end than to the beginning. Holy shit, who designed this system? I don’t like it! If it were up to me, we wouldn’t have expiration dates. Or, at the least, the expiration dates would be a hell of a lot longer than they now are.
What to do, what to do? Well, we all know that a good approach to life is to keep on keeping on as best we can. Meaning, we should be loving and giving individuals, and should pursue those activities that bring us joy. And it wouldn’t hurt if we spread our wings too. Yeah, that’s a game plan to embrace, no matter what our age.
There’s not enough room on this page for me to delve into my successes and failures in attempting to meet each of the criteria suggested above. But I will describe one recent activity that brought me joy. Namely, my attendance, with my wife Sandy, at a Willie Nile concert, which took place at City Winery Philadelphia. Willie is a songwriter, vocalist and rhythm guitarist. And, most important, a high-potency rocker. I’d seen him in concert before, and was at City Winery because I expected to be rocked righteously. For rock and roll — guitar-based, take-no-prisoners rock and roll, to be exact — is a form of music that meshes exceedingly well with my internal rhythms. When the songs are hearty and the playing is powerful and the musicians’ commitment knows no bounds, I’m transported to higher realms.
Everything came together magnificently that night. Willie and his band were on fire, unleashing torrents of energy. I’d been feeling rock-deprived for the previous two or three months. The Willie Nile concert put a halt to that.
The concert not only excited me, it got me thinking too. Willie, you see, is a mere eight months younger than me. He’s been part of the rock scene for decades, has played thousands of shows, and hasn’t lost his passion for the music. I tell you, Willie shines as a role model for seniors who are a bit dismayed by the thought that the Grim F*cking Reaper might be lurking around the corner. I’m one of those seniors. Willie is doing what he loves, and shares his gifts generously with his audiences. I believe he’ll rock until the day he drops. That’s a truly worthy way in which to live a life.
In closing, I’ll present you with a video from the concert in question. Dig Willie’s leg kick towards the end of the song. He might be old, but he’s still got “rock star” moves:
Yeah, Another Blogger 
I understand your point. The rockers of our youth, when they’re still around are 80+
I remember seeing the Stones in a concert a while back and wondering what Jagger et al. were using for stamina. 😉
Thanks for the post.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Keith Richards turns 80 in a week or two.
LikeLiked by 1 person
He does. We’ve lost Charlie Watts. And Jeff Beck… And others surely. May all those who remain keep on playing for a long time…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for this rockin’ post.
I suspect you will remain forever young – not matter what the outer casing looks like.
Rock on!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Linda. Our generation grew up with rock and roll, and we still are very much into it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My husband is closer to 70 than 60, and he has just hooked up with a new band and playing gigs again. He loves it. You’re never too old to rock n roll
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Eden. Rock and roll is in our blood. By the way, is your blog now a private site? That’s the message that comes up when I click on your gravatar.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My blog is in seriously fu$ked, I’m in the middle of fixing it and just don’t want anyone to see the mess until I figure it out!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Autumn colours are the best! I agree about being loving and giving individuals, and pursuing things that bring us joy – in all ages!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello there. Autumn is my favorite time of year, partly because my birthday is in October!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love this post, Neil. Yes, I also want to know who designed this system?! Time should slow down as we get older. After retirement, it should be crawling along like a snail! That said, it isn’t up to me, so we need to take your advice and live it up. In fact, as we live it up, time has a freaky way of slowing down. The concert sounds like a shot in the arm. I hope you do more of that. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi. I’m into many types of music. But the one that energizes me more than all the others is guitar-based rock and roll.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
For much of my early life, I felt older than my actual age, but since maybe hitting 40, I have felt younger. Being healthy helps.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi. it sounds as though you are in a good place.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Willie Nile? You devil you. The “leg kick” still has me chuckling. You can do it Neil!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Willie’s way more agile than me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Excellent post with thoughts I can relate to! I like your trio of trees / tree triptych!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Denise. Yeah, aging isn’t a blast. But there’s nothing we can do about it.
LikeLike
“It’s scary how time seems to accelerate when we get up there in years…” Oh man, Neil, I could have written much of this post. I remember the first birthday to bother me was 60. At 50, I thought “I have another 50 years, plenty of time.” I’ll now have to make it to 136 for that to be true. Not that I won’t give it my all, but…And yes, time seems to move incredibly faster than it did , say, 30 years ago. BUT, it’s a good thing that you feel younger than you are. I remember my dad saying (in his 50s) that he just didn’t feel like his age had changed. Personally, my “forever” age is 34 in my head. Anyway, GREAT post. You’ve captured a truth here (as well as some nice photos), and Happy New Year. May we go on forever!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Amy. All we can do is keep on keeping on. We’re not getting any younger, but neither is anyone else!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do miss those brilliant autumn colors, have to visit the east coast now and then. Here in the mountains we have golden aspen and evergreens. Thanks for the song… keep on rockin’!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi. Yes, the changing of leaf colors is an amazing thing. It’s a great spectacle.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those fall colours are so lovely. Right now, in our area of Canada, there is nothing but white and more white.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Speaking of snow: Yesterday, here in greater Philadelphia, we had our first snowfall in over 700 days.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What? Seriously! Was there a bit of getting used to it again?
LikeLiked by 1 person
No, but a snowless winter would have been fine with me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, just look at all those beautiful fall colours! I hope you remain above ground for another 20 or more and get to enjoy life and everything it offers- in every way and form possible. Time is our most valuable resource, and it is constantly slipping away from us. If we’re not careful, we can get so caught up in the demands of work, family, and social obligations that we forget to slow down and appreciate the moments that make life worth living. That’s why I try to take the time to stop and look around, to gain a new perspective on life. This way I can appreciate the beauty of nature, the joy of spending time with loved ones, and the simple pleasures that make life worth living. Thanks for sharing, and have a wonderful day 🙂 Aiva xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Aiva. You have a good perspective on things. There’s a lot of truth in the saying that it’s the little things that count.
LikeLike
🥰🥰🥰
LikeLiked by 1 person