Join me in my “Third Place.”

We’ve all been there. You look at yourself in the mirror, and reality strikes. I was helped by seeing photos from my 45th high school reunion and trying to figure out why there were so many old people. What happened to them, and how did I avoid the aging trap?


Well, I finally figured out that I didn’t. Perhaps I stayed a little younger based on my profession (college instructor) and my younger spouse, but after really taking a good look, I did not. I’ve also experienced other friends suddenly experiencing severe health issues, including early death (yikes!)


This isn’t the first time I thought about how to make some changes. My mother always stressed “moderation,” which clearly pushed me in the opposite direction. Why would I do that????


Well, I just figured it out. Too much wine, too much food, and not enough of the “moderation” she stressed. It’s not in my DNA despite having hers. So I decided that this is the year. I turn 63 on Sunday, and surely, I can give my wife the gift of trying to extend my own “healthspan.”

That is what this blog is about. I don’t care if you join, make fun of, or ridicule me. None of that matters. I also don’t care that I might not be horribly out of shape. That would certainly make for a better story. My guess is I am like many of you. I have made it through the tough years and suddenly have time to reset my life.


This blog is my “Third Place”. We all need one, even if you don’t think so. We have work and families, but many of us have given up on having that other group we can share lives with. Robert Putnam wrote about it in “Bowling Alone”.

I hope you join me in my “Third Place”.