I Should Be So Lucky

I know this man. He tells me he'll be 86 next week.

He's not at work. He's working at play. I ran into him this weekend at the annual meeting of the Mid Michigan Old Gas Tractor Association. He was operating this old loader to lift logs, 2 at a time, and set them in place for the steam powdered saw mill the group operates when they have their big meets. He spends the day doing this and hanging out on the gangway, watching the logs get buzzed into boards.

I know him because he has bad knees. He tells me they're all worn out but working fine, so no surgery as yet. And, I know him because his shoulder needed to be replaced a few years back. He was 81 or 2. And he headed south to Florida 3 weeks later……..on his motorcycle. He still rides. He can't scratch his back with that right arm...but he can with the left, he tells me with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. A happy man.

A few years back, he and his late wife brought me a photo to look at of the two of them on their honeymoon, c. 1946 or so. The two of them looked like wild passionate young lovers getting ready to set off on a tour of the west……. riding double on their Indian motorcycle, leather coats and helmets. He tells me she's gone two years this October and his face shows just how much he misses her.

But, I should be so lucky. 86 years in good health. Full of life. Riding around on a tractor in blue overalls, yellow shirt, and red cap. A life filled with good friends, a great hobby, and even better memories. A happy man.