A Nice Hard Slap – A True Role Model
My
daughter’s favorite restaurant in the world is Joe’s Crab Shack, a
place where she tears through 1+ adult sized orders of crab legs as I
try to [unsuccessfully] break the flesh out of the shell fast enough to
accommodate her ravenous ways. Every year on her birthday we go, just
us, and have a great time. This year, she got to hula hoop in front of
everyone, and her lack of fear further illustrates her growing desire
to be in front of an audience [she was front and center and singing
loudly at the little pageant her school did].
Evidence:
But she wasn’t the only one having a birthday on November 19th…
In
the corner of the restaurant was a man and his wife, or more likely his
daughter. He was sipping a beer, relaxing and having a generally good
time. I later found out his birthday was a week later but he’d be
spending it in Hawaii, a place he’d always dreamed of going. This guy’s
my new hero.
Why?
He was celebrating his 100th birthday.
This
guy is three times the man I am, and not only chronologically. First of
all, I think about 98% of the people who ever read this site will ever
crest 90 years of age, let alone 100. In fact, I think I just got
cancer for mentioning those stats. 100 years of age is a massive feat
in any day and age and our medical advances and ability to heal are
still no match for our ability as a race to create harmful products and
mitigating circumstances that lead us directly to the River Styx
without passing GO.
Here’s
this guy, totally relaxed and not looking frail or without his
faculties… drinking a beer and eating crab legs. Right before a trip
to Hawaii. Must be nice…
The
manager made an announcement about his birthday and I watched a few
people go over and congratulate him and seeing him smile and shake
their hands and chat them up showcased a man who not only got the upper
hand on mortality but one who maintained a very classy demeanor and an
appreciation of those around him. He’s probably seen parents, spouses,
and nearly everyone he knew as a young man die and still clings to the
good things.
It’s humbling. Here’s hoping he lives as long as he can under his terms and no one else’s.
Meanwhile, I’m going to have a whisky and a Cuban. See you guys in Acheron.
–
Nick Nunziata has touched a tiny cock…
Photo by Nick Nunziata.