Seven minutes ago, I turned a year older. Not at all what I expected when I was younger, not even what I expected ten years ago. But here I am, and believe me, there are many differences. If you’re not willing to adapt, to embrace those changes, I expect you will not be happy…in retirement…in a new land…with new new traditions and expectations.
Some of the changes are noticeable. Yesterday in my home of Michigan the temperatures were record-setting minus 25 and snow. I miss that a lot. Yesterday temperatures in my back yard were 60 degrees, the sun was out, and I was helping cook fish and clean house (not my favorite, but hell, I can survive anything:)) Today I helped a good friend (the best man at my last wedding) celebrate his birthday by climbing a mountain…and he’s older than I am. We had a wonderful time.
Some changes are more subtle. They sing “Happy Birthday” differently. They have major traffic problems (10 cars waiting to yield in a traffic circle) and we’re never sure if Paderia Juncal will have fresh buns or not after lunch. (They did today, and very few things in life are better than buns just out of the oven, buttered, with Sao Jorge cheese)!
As I age, flexibility is less my forté (so I’m told:)) But I am slowly – and sometimes painfully- learning to embrace differences. According to Darwin, if I don’t, I won’t survive. So I shall. Happy Birthday to me, or Feliz Aniversario and Muitos Parabems. The words to the song might be different, but the thought is still the same!