On The Fly

The Remarkable Ronnie-Happy Birthday You’re sixty-six years! What a wonderful age! A brand-new " Route 66 " turn of the page. In the town of old Cuba , right where you began, you’ve retired ... and become a much busier man! You raised up three children, all sturdy and true, plus one extra child—who, of course, is just YOU. For though you grow older, you’re stubborn, it’s true, you refuse to grow up! (And we’re glad that you do.) Now grandkids arrive with a zoom and a shout, Like geese on espresso, they’re all let-let out! They’re frantic! They’re loud! They are bouncy and bright! They’ll keep you awake from dawn till night. So you grab up a pole or a gun, and you flee, "Gone hunting!" you yell, just to let yourself be. With a nap in the woods or a fish on the line, you tell yourself, "Ronnie, you’re doing just fine." So here’s to the garden where big veggies thrive, To the tall-as-a-mountain fish stories you drive! You’ve hit Sixty-Six! Now enjoy the whole...

You CAN teach an ole' dog new tricks. It amazes me that I still hear the platitude, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Really? People continue to use it as excuse for not being able to successfully learn or even attempt a new skill to their satisfaction or expectation. Agreed, learning a new skill is challenging. Let’s be honest, it’s downright hard. Well, I’m here to say that learning a new skill is not a bag of tricks and humans are not dogs. It’s simply a discipline that’s driven by a “want to” passion. It’s been over one year now and I’m having more fun than ever exploring the world of music with my Fender guitar . . . You see, in my experience, to remain young at heart, curious, and active, life is about learning and teaching new skills. The emotional and physical rewards are simply undeniable.  And if I might add practically unexplainable, but let’s try. Almost daily I meet customers at Home Depot who say to me, “No one teaches you how to be retir...