Milestones

     Milestones are markers - usually made of large rocks or small boulders - that have been in use for centuries, they were carved with the name of a destination and told travelers how far they have to go or how far they have come.
     Life is similarly marked with milestones and recently I came upon and passed a big one. This was not the first milestone for me, like most people there have been many milestones in my life such as the first time I rode a bicycle, entered the first grade, left home at eighteen, got married, had kids and so on and so forth. Every new day in my life was a milestone, a first for me that could never again be duplicated, standing in the exact same spot at a later time would invoke new visions and bring about memories of the past and thoughts of what the future may hold.
     I never looked upon milestones as I do now, they were just natural occurring happenings that often passed unnoticed, after all certain things were expected to  happen bringing about a normal progression of my life cycle. Each day was like riding a merry-go-round, the shiny brass rings were not always in easy reach and some of them were tarnished so I would go around again in hopes of catching one that glittered. I have always thought myself to be an optimist, even bad days had good moments so when other people were dreading turning thirty or forty years old I found reasons to look forward to those times and if I had to polish the brass ring to make it shine-so be it.
     So now I have passed another milestone in my life, on May 5, 2017 I turned seventy years old. There were times in my youth that I told people I was going to live forever, now I feel like I have. I have become an old man, as my son recently pointed out, I have the body of an old man - my once muscled chest has dropped down to expand my waistline, there are a few dark hairs hiding among the grey ones but they won't last long and my skin has taken on the consistency worn leather lined with the wrinkles of a long life, the aches and pains are to numerous to mention here, they come and go with the changing of the weather. Yep I am old alright, as old as dirt, but I worked hard to get to this age and am proud to have made it.
     There is much in my life to look back on with pride and much to look forward to in the future. Kay recently told me I was a lucky man, indeed I think I am, I have family that I am proud of, grand children that look up to me and make me smile and Kay to walk beside me as we grow old together.
     I still ride that merry-go-round of life and still reach for the brass rings, I stand in the same spots of yesterday and wonder what tomorrow holds for me. I look down the road and see distant milestones and can't wait to reach them but if I should come to the last one and have to get off the merry-go-round at least I can say the ride was worth the price of the ticket.