Somewhere around my 50^th birthday, I started growing hair out of and on the outside of my Ears.  It horrified me at the time.  I knew a number of people who had a visual forest growing from their ears.  Tufts of hair on top of their ears like an Ocelot or Lynx.  Matted hair from within their ears with wax and grime caked on the hair.  It was a transition I was not ready for, and never considered before.  It was the worse sign of old age creeping up on me !

When I was either 12 or 15, I decided I had reached my ideal age.  I no longer needed to get any older. I was a big kid. Bigger than most of my classmates.  And, I was frequently mistaken for someone over 18.  I was not exactly growing a beard yet, and I had no ambition for any facial hair. In fact, even the other hair that was spouting on parts of my body I found a bit annoying.  It was constantly getting caught in zippers and seams and it was painful. One or two small body hairs grabbed for any reason could cause an amazing amount of pain.  If I had wanted to fight like my older brothers did, I knew pulling a few chest or armpit hairs could bring a person to their knees!!

So repeating my early teen years,  sprouting new hair brought all kinds of stress and despair.  Suddenly to have a completely new patch of undesirable hair brought back all those anxieties. I mean, at least 35 years had passed since any meaningful change in this mammalian body covering. I felt good about my body.  Yes, it had grown in size, and redefined its shape a little.  However, I had successfully fought that battle and returned it to relatively less round and a slightly lighter presentation.  This hair invasion was something I did not know how to correct or eliminate as they were the constantly re-growing new sprouts.

I can tell you how my body went through changes with every  passing decade in my life.  Not how the world changed or political changes, but how my body changed and my health and abilities changed. In my twenties I was invincible, immortal, and perfect.  Zooming around the country on my motorcycle or hitch hiking I was conquering the world.  When I crossed over to my 30’s, suddenly there were rug rats and permanent full time jobs with career potential.  Political games to play and stress of societal changes that reduced my invincibility and changed me to a mortal.  Life had the distinct possibility of bringing me down.  All of a sudden I was 40, and that was pushing 50! So in my 40’s I decided to restore my immortality and take back my younger body and took up running, and biking, camping and travel. I lost a considerable amount of weight and enjoyed some new relationships. I felt great, believed I looked great. I just could not compete as great as I thought I should have.  I think this is the normal time for most people to claim the “Midlife Crisis”.

I’m not sure I had a true midlife crisis. If I did, it was hidden. Or, I never saw it.  But, If I think about it,  I did get a $3000 bicycle and ride the living daylights out of it.  I bought a very special Rifle I had wanted since I was 19.  And, I got a Lifetime Hunting License. I had only really hunted 3-4 times in the past.  It seemed like a dream moment!  But I wanted to return to that 22yr old hunter/trapper/ great outdoors man I thought I was.  Okay, maybe that qualifies as a lame midlife crisis.  Hindsight is always sharper I guess. Then 50 snuck up on me.

I was working in a dead-end job for a nice company that was going nowhere. I was comfortable and lazy.  I was in the same job for 15yrs and was thinking I could probably stay there until I was 70 and then might have enough saved up to be comfortable into my 80’s.  Not really a great view of the future. I did the math, and figured I would not have the money to do the traveling I wanted to. I probably would not have enough to stay moderately healthy.  And. I probably would see my investment in my house begin to erode because I could not maintain it like it required.  So I had to make serious changes.  Luckily my kids were basically on their own.  One was still in college, but in grad school with a stipend that made it more like a real job paying him good money. So I had no strings. No limits, and no ultimate directions or goals.  Except to shed the debt I had post-divorce and the high tax living area I was in.

Just a quick discussion on the taxes I paid and taxes in general.  I bought a house outside of my boyhood home of Syracuse, NY for practically nothing.  We looked and looked and finally found a pretty run down, beat up house that still had good fundamental building structure and could be quickly renovated and made very comfortable.  We paid roughly $100,000 in a neighborhood of $200,000 houses.  We repainted the interior and had to replace all the carpets.  Worked on the landscaping, fencing, and roof and gutter repairs.  Nothing major that would greatly change the outward value of the house.  But our Annual Taxes were $6000 in the initial years and $8000 in the final years.   I paid more in Taxes than I did in mortgage principal.  Everyone in town will tell you the taxes are so high because the school system is so good.  And that really could be true.  My sons both went to the top of their educational possibilities. One is a lawyer and the other is a Phd researcher.  And I stayed in that house after the divorce so they could stay in that school system.   The School, The Library, the Parks & Recreation dept, and the services provided by the city were all top notch.  My younger brother went to a private school from 6^th-12^th grade.  His tuition at that school was right about the same cost.  He also became a Phd researcher.  So I figure  taxes is money well spent, as long as they are used properly. I don’t mind paying my taxes.  Just so I know they are being used for the good of the people, not the politicians!

So, sorry to digress, back to getting old, before I expire!  So with everything stable, if not totally stagnant, I set out to find a better job with more of a challenge and a better career path to retirement.  I interviewed for a number of jobs in my current field.  Some were very high paying positions, but in poor choices for relocation.  The UP of Minnesota, DE Moines, Iowa, Nashville, TN(not too shabby), and Cleveland, Alabama and Cleveland, Ohio.  Who knew Cleveland was such a popular name.  Especially since Grover Cleveland had lived in the town I was living in.  So then when I interviewed for a job in Cleveland, NC.. It seemed to be fate that I was going to be living in Cleveland somewhere eventually.  Cleveland just wanted me.   So I took the job. Though pay wasn’t too much more, living expenses and overall compensation made it seem like a big jump in pocket money!   And, it had a complete relocation packet with temporary living while I looked for a house. Life in my late 50’s seemed very good.

Life in the south seems very good.  I love the snow, and am not afraid of the cold. But the continuous dark winter does drag on your mental health in NY.  I had my furry boys to keep me happy and active.  But they were getting older and were good for shorter exploits than for long adventurers.  I definitely noticed I got cold easier, and tired faster.   In fact I was in need of a nap by 2-3pm.  Computer work was out of the question after 1pm.  And a long drive home from work in the dark was somewhat dangerous with lack of focus.  So this was going to be the 60’s years.  Lots of desire, but a lack of endurance. There thee was the puppy!  He has been a big help.  A body in motion tends to remain in motion, and the new puppy was a “Motion machine”.  He was no replacement for my lost friends of so any years, but he had a lot of possibilities. So my 6^th decade is definitely slowing me down. But I’m going to be cutting out the extraneous energy sucking activities (like going to work) before they are half over. I have accumulated enough money in the new situation to up my future standard of living as a direct result of a major reduction in my cost of living. I may have a plan!!   I recommend it to everyone… Less Junk, More Journey!  That would make a nice title for a YouTube Channel!

So I hope you will stay around with me as I plan out my travels and my future. I’m hoping I can encourage others to follow the path less costly.  Less costly in money,  better health,  and way over budget in happiness.  Never believe that doing something that makes you unhappy, but makes someone else happy, will ever come back to making you happy.  Happiness is a currency worth more than Bitcoin.  Do what you need to do to bring happiness to you and hope that other people will grow and share in your happiness.  Otherwise, you will always wonder, why did you let your dreams get away so easily.  Keep the dreams, or you’ll never have  a dream come true !

Stay Safe, Stay Happy

Rick & Akela!