Framing the Sound

Category: birthdays

  • On Waiting, Warm Weather, and the Passing of Time

    I’ve heard it practically all my life that time passes faster as you get older. January is already history, and I could swear it was only January 1 yesterday.

    In my youth, I remember having to wait for a certain time, day, or month to arrive before this or that event. Back then, it felt like years before that day finally came. Waiting for something good to happen meant everything to me and my siblings. Anticipation had weight. It stretched time.

    I mentioned in my last blog post that this year marks my 70th trip around the sun. Reaching the downhill side of life’s mountain arrived far faster than I ever imagined it would.

    We’re planning another trip this year—one or two more National Parks. This time, we’ve decided to look closer to home. I’d head west again in a heartbeat, but my wife prefers less driving time, and that’s just fine with me.

    We’re waiting for the warm months to arrive and will choose our destination before then. But this waiting for warm weather feels like it’s taking forever—almost the way it did when I was a kid.

    And that? That’s a good thing.

    A sandstone butte just outside Badlands National Park.

  • 2026

    On May 12 of this year, I’ll have completed 70 trips around the sun.

    But it only seems like…?

    I don’t make New Year’s resolutions because I can’t keep them.

    I probably could if I took them seriously. But at my age, taking things seriously—like a New Year’s resolution—has gotten a lot harder to do, and I think I know why.

    As you age, your outlook on life changes. You begin to realize you’re not going to live forever, and you can’t take anything with you when you leave. Those two hard facts are the only things I take seriously.

    Seriously though…

    My family, friends, neighbors, acquaintances, and my photography—along with my recent return to vinyl records and tape listening—are things I place great value on. But I can’t take any of them with me either when I check out.

    When the credits play, remember that they were written by me.

  • Birth dates; just a meaningless reminder?

    69 trips around the sun. Do I need a reminder on May 12 every year? Are trees reminded yearly of their first glance of the world from their undergound birthplace? Are birds shown their yearly anniversary of when they hatched? Do whales, sharks, snakes, spiders and every other living creature on this Pale Blue Dot get a yearly reminder?

    I think there should be a law of some sort that states: “No person, animal, or any living creature past the age of 40 shall not be reminded of date of birth.” Call me a cynic if you want (I’ve had to deal with that recently) but I no longer want or need to be reminded of my age.

    It’s irrelevant. But thanks for all the birthday wishes anyway. Please do me a favor if you can…

    Next year, instead of sending “Happy Birthday” wishes, send me some cold hard cash, in paper form, not coin. A couple of Washingtons isn’t too much to ask!