08/03/2026
2016-2026, 2026-????
“Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day. You fritter and waste the hours in an off-hand way. Kicking around on a piece of ground in your hometown. Waiting for someone or something to show you the way.” ~ Time (Pink Floyd)
As 2016 began, my brand-new passport sat silently in the bank safe deposit box wondering when I would show up next. Travel Go-Go for sure.
What travels and adventures would the next 10 years hold? It asks.
If you’re like most humans; places lived, companies employed, your age, your kid’s age, and personal and social milestones mark time on your life’s (unknown) journey.
I was 54 years old, which meant our daughter was 24 years old. Marie was 56 years old.
If I recall, we were all blessed with very good health that year.
Lauren was a young teacher, two years removed from Rider University. I was working for another in a long line of Fortune 500 insurance companies. Marie was working for a defense contractor. We were counting the years towards Retirement.
That year, we called Moorestown, New Jersey home for the 21st year. We quietly waited to see what direction Lauren’s and Brian’s relationship would head. Secretly hoping marriage vows would be exchanged soon.
If (when?) that event happened, we would be faced with many important “Adulting” decisions; stay or move, move to where and could we (actually) start considering retirement. God forbid.
During 2016, dad and daughter would head to California for ‘Desert Trip’ 3-days of classic rock concerts where Coachella is annually held. That summer, our family would also drive across country on Route 66 from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California for three weeks celebrating the 90th Anniversary of The Mother Road. That fall, Marie and I celebrated wedding anniversary #34 in Kempton, Pennsylvania for a long weekend of hiking and wineries, near Hawk Mountain.
It’s now 2026.
Just last week, my new passport arrived in the mail.
I am now 64, which means Lauren is 34, Marie is 66.
10 years just flew by. How the heck did that happen?
Technically, this government document allows me to travel to/from the United States to places around the world. Suddenly, health and financial resources will dictate my ability to travel these next 10 years, that’s assuming I make it to the next passport renewal date in 2036, at age 74!
This morning, I sit in my downsized “Over 55” condo overlooking a small pond which has become my treasured ‘backyard’. Marie sits on the couch reading the news and checking text messages on her phone.
Lauren and Brian have now been married for 5 years (June 2026) and counting.
Tomorrow, we will ‘dog-sit’ their two dachshunds. Next week, we head to Brigantine for 4 days to celebrate Marie’s birthday! In January, I become a full-fledged member of the Medicare Club at “65”.
The new passport silently stares at me on my desk.
“Where will we go next?” It seems to ask.
Will health and wealth continue to be generous with her blessings for me and my family? I answer.
What is the sound? Slow-Go years whispering in the back of my mind?
Quietly planning our next getaway, knowing there are no guarantees.
Do it now.
