[NFBWV-Talk] Ed's Birthday

[Ed McDonald]

-----Original Message-----
From: NFBWV-Talk [mailto:nfbwv-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Karen McDonald via NFBWV-Talk
Sent: Friday, October 18, 2019 11:49 PM
To: nfbwv-talk at nfbnet.org
Cc: Karen McDonald <karen at eioproductions.com>
Subject: [NFBWV-Talk] Ed's Birthday

Just wanted all of you to know that about fifteen minutes from now Ed will turn 70 years old.

Happy birthday, Mr. Whereas! I am proud to be your partner in life.

Peace
Mrs. McDonald

Before I get caught up in another work week, I want to say thanks to all of you who responded to Karen's message--some with charity for us geezers, and others with more of a reality check!  I usually try not to pay too much attention to birthdays, but it became difficult to ignore this one.  Karen got so many responses to her FB post that my sense of appreciation and politeness told me to write a reply that she could share with all of her friends.  Most of you know that I am too much of a curmudgeon (maybe it's just ineptitude) to get involved with social media.  Nevertheless, I thought I would share those post-birthday ramblings via the medium I know how to use.  Those of you who have already seen it on FB may simply want to delete and move on.  Anyway, here it is:

Well, the big day is over, but it left me with a lot to think about as I settle into my eighth decade.

Once upon a time-when I was much younger-I regarded anyone past the age of sixty as being ancient; and if one had reached the age of seventy, he or she could pretty much be relegated to those who had outlived their usefulness.  A slight exaggeration perhaps, but it's funny how perspectives change with the passage of time!

At any rate, despite the fact that the doctors tell me I'm in pretty good shape and I maintain a busy schedule of activity, turning seventy does indeed carry with it the sobering reminder that I am much closer to the end of life than to the beginning.  Thus, even though I don't know when the end will come, it's essential to try to focus on the important stuff and try to minimize the time wasters and trivial stuff.  That's not always easy to do, but I have recently made some choices that I hope will lead in that general direction.

Perhaps, however, the most significant part of turning seventy was being reminded in so many different ways just how fortunate and how richly blessed I really am.  I know, for example, that many people have accomplished many notable things in their seventies and beyond and I hope to be able to do likewise, but I am also aware of many friends and relatives whose lives were cut short and who did not reach three score and ten.  Thus, I am thankful for merely being able to celebrate this occasion.

I am blessed with a dear wife who is-among many other things-my link to the world of social media.  On the eve of the big day, she announced to all of the faces in her book that her husband (of whom she spoke in very flattering terms) was about to cross another chronological threshold.  The response which she has shared with me was humbling and a little overwhelming-from "likes" and "wows" to simple "happy birthday" wishes and some kind comments and compliments.  One such comment suggested that I had made the world a better place.  Well, though I have no way of knowing whether that's really true, it sure feels good to know that someone said it!

My wife also brought step-children into my life.  Two of them called with birthday wishes which turned into extended conversations with two people whose friendship goes well beyond their being just part of the family.  Several other dear friends and relatives called as well, and so I spent much of the day with phone in hand.

Food also played an important part in the occasion as it often does with special days.  Karen arranged for the proprietor of our little downtown bakery to bake and deliver a birthday cake-lemon with cream cheese frosting.  Friday evening we walked down the street to the nearby Candlewyck restaurant for a crab platter and a bloody Mary.  On birthday morning we took our first trip on Keyser's new Ready Ride bus service and had breakfast at Denny's.  They offer a birthday discount, which appeals to my inherited sense of thriftiness! Without this new transportation option, which came to town just in time for my birthday, such a breakfast excursion would have been difficult without the help of friends.  The two of us then had the opportunity to spend some "quality time" together in the kitchen preparing baked beans in the CrockPot (not from a can)-one of the most memorable recipes from my days of bachelorhood.  Our simple supper marked a symbolic end to the summer season.  Along with the baked beans, there were the last of the hot dogs retrieved from Karen's late mother's freezer, topped with the last of Karen's famous homemade chili sauce (a traditional summertime treat) and the last of the sweet onion from the summertime farmer's market.

Looking at our calendar for the fall season offers a further reminder of just how abundant our life together really is.  Back in September we took part in one of the best conventions ever in my fifty-year membership in the National Federation of the Blind of West Virginia, and we are planning for upcoming meetings in Charleston and Morgantown.  Last week I completed a substantial grant request for Mountain Streams Radio which would help support a major expansion of our little community radio station.  Just a few days ago I conducted a radio interview with the conductor of the Vienna Boys' Choir which comes to our town for a concert next week.  Also on the calendar are several local planning meetings, along with another trip to the DC area to continue the work of cleaning out Karen's mother's house and preparing it for the real estate market.  By Christmas time we plan to add to our living room several pieces of furniture from Mother's home, and a couple of remodeling projects are in the planning stages.

At this age I do not take good health for granted, but both of us are grateful for what we have and hope that this week's routine doctor visit yields reassuring news.

And with that, I'll simply say that seventy feels like a pretty good place to be.  I appreciate the friends and family who helped to celebrate the milestone, the love of a wife who enables me to celebrate every day, and a life filled with lots of good memories and even more ventures to keep us busy.  I am grateful for these seventy revolutions around the sun and look forward to decade number eight.

Ed

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