“You can’t help 
getting older, 
but you don’t 
have to get old.”
George Burns

I’m home. Having spent the past three weeks walking the streets of Nassau, talking with friends from St. Augustine’s College, and reminiscing about a one-year experience I had more than fifty years ago, I’m grateful to be back in the Bay Area. I thoroughly enjoyed the past twenty days. My time was spent visiting with former students and colleagues, exploring areas of Nassau I frequented in the mid-seventies, and indulging in a variety of Bahamian meals and snacks. During the first two weeks of this visit, I averaged close to 10,000 steps per day. In the last week, because I had boxes of books to move around, I rented a car. My step-count decreased significantly, but having a car enabled me to explore more areas of the island and visit some old friends.

I mentioned to a number of people in Nassau that this might be my final visit to The Bahamas, and that A Bahamian Odyssey would be the last book I write. While both of these may be true, I was reminded more than once to “never say never.” This is good advice. While it feels, in many ways, as though I’m closing the book on The Bahamas chapter of my life, I’m not erasing it from my memory… or my heart. Nassau, and the people I know there, will always be special to me. For now, though, I’m looking ahead.

Yes, I’m getting older. This reality doesn’t bother me at all. I’m in full agreement with Carl Jung, who wrote, “A human being would certainly not grow to be 70 or 80 years old if this longevity had no meaning for the species to which he belongs. The afternoon of human life must also have a significance of its own and cannot be merely a pitiful appendage to life’s morning.”

I can also relate to the wise words of Maya Angelou, who wrote, “I love living. I love that I’m alive to love my age. There are many people who went to bed just as I did yesterday evening and didn’t wake up this morning. I love and feel very blessed that I did.”

So what do I do now that I’m home, well aware that I will celebrate my 72nd birthday in June? I’m motivated by the words of C.S. Lewis. He said, “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” 

While I don’t plan to publish any more books, I am committed to continuing to write on my blog. I’m also committed to getting together with friends on a regular basis, exercising every day, and being conscientious about the food and beverages I consume. Staying connected with others, maintaining regular physical exercise, and eating nutritious foods can all contribute to a healthier and longer life in older age.  

I am grateful to be able to say, as Frank Lloyd Wright once said, “The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes.”