Mile 70

Episode #823
November 9, 2024

The age of 70 is a milestone in our society.
It is the age of retirement, voluntary or not.
It is also considered an advent to wisdom.

Paula recently turned 70. She met it face on without a hint of slowing down.

The day before her birthday she load organized at Skydive Perris. She made 6 skydives mentoring new jumpers into calm and precise formation skydives. One of the jumps was frantic and undisciplined. In her very practical, well learned style Paula debriefed the group.

“When you walk you don’t flail your arms and legs around franticly,” she said, walking like a mad woman.
“You walk calmly, like this,” she illustrated with a calm, smooth, measured stroll. “Skydive calmly.”

The group took her advice to heart and on the next jump flew like experienced skydivers.
Her sage advice from 40 years of experience and 70 years of life has earned Paula respect and inspiration at the drop zone.
Load organizing is a volunteer position, but make no mistake… it is work. Paula is not really retired.

The day after her birthday Paula rose early to beat the heat and renewed her efforts at organizing and tending to her greenhouse. Paula raises succulents and plants them in interesting pots in artistic arrangements.

If Paula doesn’t average 10,000 steps per day every week, she is disappointed. How many 70 year olds can say that?

The age of 70 has historical, mathematical, cultural and memorable significance. It is a time to celebrate longevity, empathy and wisdom. I wrote a poem for Paula on her 70th birthday. Some of the references are inside jokes. Others are forced rhymes I used to make a point.

70

70 AD temple 
felt Roman’s strife.

One after a pineapple
is a long life.

A Harshad number, meaning
7 plus 0

into 70, being
divisible.

Culture says that seventy
symbolizes

longevity, sympathy…
empathizes.

It is cultural milestone,
retirement

or an archive of our own,
an enticement?

rickiT, 2024

On this, Paula’s 70th birthday I admired her abundant accumulation of wisdom, acumen, experience, insight, knowledge, prudence, savvy, enlightenment, reason, shrewdness, sagacity and comprehension.

Every day her wisdom reminds me why I love her.

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