What the Hell Happened? All it took was one long look in a department store mirror and my life was turned completely upside down. At first, I thought I had stepped into someone else's changing room. I excused myself, but paused long enough for the harsh reality to take hold. I froze in my tacks, completely transfixed, as I gaped at the image, gaping back at me. How had I gone from "forty something" and full of life, to this "eighty something" fella with gray hair, glasses and more than a few wrinkles...well, everywhere! I got home and I did a lot of thinking, which turned into a lot of writing, which turned into this book. I filled the pages with the personal stories, some humorous, some not so much, but they are all little snippets in my past that ultimately brought me to the fateful day and that awful mirror. I liken my aging to being on a long journey, much like riding on a train from one town to another. My train, however, was no old steam locomotive, slowly ambling around a mountain. No, it was more like a newfangled bullet train where everything moves at a blur and you're at the destination before you've had a moment to enjoy the scenery. I promise you that this book is not one of regrets. It contains lessons I had to learn about myself and challenges I had to overcome, but all of them culminated into a blessed life. It is my wish that you laugh, cry, and maybe even learn a trick or two as you journey on your own train. I also hope you will write some of your stories down as they will be cherished by those who love you. It certainly helped me find peace, joy and finally, acceptance of that old man in the mirror. God Bless!
What the Hell Happened? All it took was one long look in a department store mirror and my life was turned completely upside down. At first, I thought I had stepped into someone else's changing room. I excused myself, but paused long enough for the harsh reality to take hold. I froze in my tacks, completely transfixed, as I gaped at the image, gaping back at me. How had I gone from "forty something" and full of life, to this "eighty something" fella with gray hair, glasses and more than a few wrinkles...well, everywhere! I got home and I did a lot of thinking, which turned into a lot of writing, which turned into this book. I filled the pages with the personal stories, some humorous, some not so much, but they are all little snippets in my past that ultimately brought me to the fateful day and that awful mirror. I liken my aging to being on a long journey, much like riding on a train from one town to another. My train, however, was no old steam locomotive, slowly ambling around a mountain. No, it was more like a newfangled bullet train where everything moves at a blur and you're at the destination before you've had a moment to enjoy the scenery. I promise you that this book is not one of regrets. It contains lessons I had to learn about myself and challenges I had to overcome, but all of them culminated into a blessed life. It is my wish that you laugh, cry, and maybe even learn a trick or two as you journey on your own train. I also hope you will write some of your stories down as they will be cherished by those who love you. It certainly helped me find peace, joy and finally, acceptance of that old man in the mirror. God Bless!
