55: No Limit

Today, I turned Hideki Matsui years old. It's an age I certainly hoped to reach, but couldn't imagine myself being.

As Yogi Berra put it, "The future ain't what it used to be." And the 21st Century certainly hasn't gone the way I'd hoped it would. I wanted a world of peace, freedom, abundance and tolerance that extended to missions to Mars. Instead, I got dictators and drones. I wanted Presidents who looked forward. I got a couple. But I also got two who only looked out for themselves and their fellow rich guys.

I wanted more winning for my teams. I've gotten it. But I've also gotten some rotten stretches for them.

And I wanted my own wing of my family. That hasn't happened, and is unlikely to happen. On the other hand, aside from a current cold, my health is good, and the hip replacements have significantly reduced my pain.

The good times are never as good as we think, and the bad times are never as bad as we fear. I've gotten through a lot. I've survived a lot of crap. And I've experienced some wondrous things.

55 miles per hour is the classic legal (if not operational) speed limit for American cars. And I was never especially fast. But the age isn't going to limit everything I do. A lot of things, but not everything.

Being alive is an adventure. And, at 55, I'm not ready to bring it to a close. No matter what my opponents, from the White House to the playing fields, throw at me.

Bring it on.