Late Night at Renatos

My friend Mel celebrated his 86th birthday last night with his lovely bride, Lea, and several old friends. I was honored to attend and reflect on our relationship dating back to 1958 when we pledged our fraternity, ZBT, at Rutgers. We reminisced about times past and meaningful life events, as well as about the good friends and loved ones who couldn’t be there with us, either because of illness or death. Retirement was another major topic, and I was the only one at the table who admitted to still being employed. I have a simple answer for those who ask why I don’t retire: why should I? I enjoy my work and the challenge of solving problems for people. Moreover, I believe I benefit from it as it keeps me mentally active. A further explanation is that I cannot think of what else I would do to fill all the hours—play golf? That’s not my thing. Write and paint more? I spend enough time on weekends and early mornings on my typewriter, tapping out not only these columns but a book each year, as I have for the past four years.

Although the group at the table last night didn’t talk about death as the endgame, we did linger on the topic of those we have lost over the decades. The passing of Judie, my wife of 55 years, in 2017, was shattering and caused me to step back and reassess my life both personally and professionally. Now, some eight years later, I am still working every day, spending my free time reading, painting, and fishing, and working on a new book. It is about a character who lives a life in the wilderness and is forced to come to terms with his own raw emotions. This is how I intend to reach retirement, assuming I do retire someday: always exploring, being challenged, and seeking understanding.