While the opinions of others counts, they do not to the point where I will veer away from my core beliefs that I have gained through trial and error.

“Experience is the best teacher,” said my father who was a WW2 vet.  What he failed to mention is ‘experience’ is also the hardest and toughest teacher. Far better to learn by listening to the wisdom of others who have gone on before.

As Solomon says in Ecclesiastes, “There is nothing new under the sun”. True enough.

Still, the journey for me is new. Especially as I am now coping with the ravages of this DIEabetes plague.  Strokes, a heart-attack, three surgeries and now…growing eye-sight problems (which is a nice way of saying I am going blind).

Still, on the inside, I feel pretty much the way I do when I was in my mid-30′s. My world-view has moderated, but not substantially changed.

Which at the age of 50+ is I think okay, unless I am convinced otherwise. So I keep an open mind about things, but refuse to offer the world an empty mind when it comes up with its latest fact fad.

I’m 54.