I'm now at 86, just a small aging twit, but too crickety of bone and what used to be muscle. For years my lovely wife and I were on the dance floor for the waltz and the jitterbug. We love it all and I wore my headband to keep the sweat out of my eyes. Now I can't do enough to break a sweat but I sure can carry a load of clothes upstairs and pause to catch my breath. If the scythe of death has not yet got me, I still do what a I can and marvel at what you do. Keep it up, lad! It's a great gift. Spread that happiness to all those who await it. No one does it better....
Watch out who you call "lad," pal. I'm only 81 but I'm catching up fast. Life is good, especially in the weeks after one recovers from influenza B. Makes the flu almost worth it.
I had influenza A, so we had both A and B covered. Like you, I'm up and at 'em again. I'm now 86 and still doing volunteer working picking canned goods for a nearby charity. So we both try to keep people happy, but in different ways. So far, so good! And I do hum old classics while I work.
I'm 72 and I love Taylor Swift. Couldn't tell you one song she sings, but she conducts herself so well and her almost always present smile lights up the room. She is also extremely smart! She knows how to handle herself and her business. I wish that she, or someone like her, had been around when Marilyn Monroe and some of the earlier stars were around to give them pointers on how to make it work for them. Thank you for including Taylor in your column today.
As a former football player and current fan, the Taylor and Travis Kelce romance may do more to keep the USA safe for democracy than anything else. I believe that red meat male NFL fans, and younger Swift fans, will react to the MAGA hate machinery by voting for democracy in the fall.
I'm only 73, but I was able to pay for much of a top drawer eastern liberal arts college education through summer jobs paying maybe $4/hour, which was great pay in those days. Total nut for a good school in those days was about $4500; that's gone up more than 10x, while those minimum wages have maybe gone up 2-3x. That's what's making so many of the MAGAs angry--wages not keeping up with cost of things. They're just directly their anger at the wrong people.
I am 10 years older than you and our president. I still put on my pants one leg at a time and then my shoes. I know what day it is and where to find my keys. I remember when our wedding anniversary is and to give my wife a hug and tell her I love her. I get my news from the daily newspaper and listen to 78 rpm records on my crank up Brunswick.. I do not consider myself "old-fashioned", I just want to hold on to some of the past while the sun still shines on me as I meet each new day.
As an early childhood fan of Buddy Holly and an adolescent devotee to the Beatles, I knew I had gotten old about maybe 20 years ago. By that time I was only vaguely aware of the next big thing in pop music. Prior to that I had kept up to the latest, whether it was the Police or Pearl Jam. So, I thought nothing of it when one of my step daughters said nice things about a pretty, young blonde girl named Taylor Swift. Now some 20 years later, Ms Swift’s career has grown big enough to annoy certain elements of the population. That is a remarkable career arc in a business.
"A sort of Anti music", now I have a name for that noise I've been hearing, even from the Grand Old Opre. It all sounds so un-music. Thanks again Garrison. RRoeder
Hi Garrison,My husband and I attended your recent show in Austin and we had a GREAT time. It was fun, smart, topical, and just darn good entertainment. The line that has stuck with me is something like, “the left is mad about the past, and the right is afraid of the future.” Well put. Thanks for just being you. Big hug!!!
Thank you, Garrison. Putting my bare feet on the floor and then going outdoors to get the paper from my driveway. I’ll definitely order the cards once I make sure my Social Security has been deposited in a couple of days.
As a 37 year old immigrant, I don't know what it's like to relate to parents and grandparents in America. That will be a story for my children and their children to tell. I don't know what it will be like for them to grow up in a time where truth is subjective (perhaps it has always been) and AI-generated videos are indiscernible from actual footage.
All I know is that there's never been a better time to be optimistic, and hardly a more rewarding place to do so than in America, where the rewards greatly outweigh the risk for doing so. And with the rise of uncertainty, so will rise the value of optimism as light shines more brilliantly in the dark. This will be especially true for the coming generations. I only hope they won't be so inundated by technology and politics that they can't gain a foothold to make a start. It doesn't escape me that this is contradictory to my thoughts regarding optimism, but as a parent to young children, I also can't help but worry.
I'm now at 86, just a small aging twit, but too crickety of bone and what used to be muscle. For years my lovely wife and I were on the dance floor for the waltz and the jitterbug. We love it all and I wore my headband to keep the sweat out of my eyes. Now I can't do enough to break a sweat but I sure can carry a load of clothes upstairs and pause to catch my breath. If the scythe of death has not yet got me, I still do what a I can and marvel at what you do. Keep it up, lad! It's a great gift. Spread that happiness to all those who await it. No one does it better....
Watch out who you call "lad," pal. I'm only 81 but I'm catching up fast. Life is good, especially in the weeks after one recovers from influenza B. Makes the flu almost worth it.
I had influenza A, so we had both A and B covered. Like you, I'm up and at 'em again. I'm now 86 and still doing volunteer working picking canned goods for a nearby charity. So we both try to keep people happy, but in different ways. So far, so good! And I do hum old classics while I work.
I'm 72 and I love Taylor Swift. Couldn't tell you one song she sings, but she conducts herself so well and her almost always present smile lights up the room. She is also extremely smart! She knows how to handle herself and her business. I wish that she, or someone like her, had been around when Marilyn Monroe and some of the earlier stars were around to give them pointers on how to make it work for them. Thank you for including Taylor in your column today.
As a former football player and current fan, the Taylor and Travis Kelce romance may do more to keep the USA safe for democracy than anything else. I believe that red meat male NFL fans, and younger Swift fans, will react to the MAGA hate machinery by voting for democracy in the fall.
My hope...
I'm 91 and Swifty is my sweetheart...
I'm only 73, but I was able to pay for much of a top drawer eastern liberal arts college education through summer jobs paying maybe $4/hour, which was great pay in those days. Total nut for a good school in those days was about $4500; that's gone up more than 10x, while those minimum wages have maybe gone up 2-3x. That's what's making so many of the MAGAs angry--wages not keeping up with cost of things. They're just directly their anger at the wrong people.
I am 10 years older than you and our president. I still put on my pants one leg at a time and then my shoes. I know what day it is and where to find my keys. I remember when our wedding anniversary is and to give my wife a hug and tell her I love her. I get my news from the daily newspaper and listen to 78 rpm records on my crank up Brunswick.. I do not consider myself "old-fashioned", I just want to hold on to some of the past while the sun still shines on me as I meet each new day.
“Old fashioned,” like truth will never go out of style. Keep on keepin’ on😊
As an early childhood fan of Buddy Holly and an adolescent devotee to the Beatles, I knew I had gotten old about maybe 20 years ago. By that time I was only vaguely aware of the next big thing in pop music. Prior to that I had kept up to the latest, whether it was the Police or Pearl Jam. So, I thought nothing of it when one of my step daughters said nice things about a pretty, young blonde girl named Taylor Swift. Now some 20 years later, Ms Swift’s career has grown big enough to annoy certain elements of the population. That is a remarkable career arc in a business.
When I attended the movie based on Taylor’s Era Tour, it filled me with hope and reminded me of how great it is to be an American.
I'm 84 and am embarrassed to admit it. So, I had to burst out laughing at today's column! And, to my surprise, I also have become a Taylor Swift fan!
I guaran-dang-tee you every single one of us smiled at the last sentence. I still am.
"A sort of Anti music", now I have a name for that noise I've been hearing, even from the Grand Old Opre. It all sounds so un-music. Thanks again Garrison. RRoeder
Hi Garrison,My husband and I attended your recent show in Austin and we had a GREAT time. It was fun, smart, topical, and just darn good entertainment. The line that has stuck with me is something like, “the left is mad about the past, and the right is afraid of the future.” Well put. Thanks for just being you. Big hug!!!
My, you were on a roll this morning. Well done. Very well done.
Thank you, Garrison. Putting my bare feet on the floor and then going outdoors to get the paper from my driveway. I’ll definitely order the cards once I make sure my Social Security has been deposited in a couple of days.
From today's issue of GK's The Writer's Almanac:
Michel de Montaigne wrote, "The most certain sign of wisdom is cheerfulness."
Keep it up wise one. Show us the way...
Brought tears to my eyes this morning. I’m so there with you, Garrison. It’s like you read my mind. ❤️ Barbara.
I am 76 years old next month, I can relate--nice piece Garrison. I bet that you could tolerate Nikki.
As a 37 year old immigrant, I don't know what it's like to relate to parents and grandparents in America. That will be a story for my children and their children to tell. I don't know what it will be like for them to grow up in a time where truth is subjective (perhaps it has always been) and AI-generated videos are indiscernible from actual footage.
All I know is that there's never been a better time to be optimistic, and hardly a more rewarding place to do so than in America, where the rewards greatly outweigh the risk for doing so. And with the rise of uncertainty, so will rise the value of optimism as light shines more brilliantly in the dark. This will be especially true for the coming generations. I only hope they won't be so inundated by technology and politics that they can't gain a foothold to make a start. It doesn't escape me that this is contradictory to my thoughts regarding optimism, but as a parent to young children, I also can't help but worry.