Frankly, At Forty
Advice you can live on for at least 40 years.
Hall of Fame baseball player Satchel Paige famously had his "Six Rules for Staying Young." (The most memorable: Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you.) Well, I'm turning 40 next month, and as midlife wraps (squeezes?) her loving arms around me, I feel the least I can do is share my own nuggets of wisdom for those on either side of the Great Four-Decade Divide.
These rules, mind you, are not made to be broken.
1. Smile when you say hello.
2. Never kick a sand castle.
3. Always have a frisbee in the trunk of your car.
4. There are three gifts a parent must give a
child: love, confidence, and an education.
Yes, these are gifts.
5. Read the prescription label. And ask
questions.
6. However you measure wealth, multiply it by
pi and you have the value of your child's smile.
7. The most important skill in business:
listening. The most neglected skill in
business: listening.
8. The most exciting play in sports: a bases-
loaded triple.
9. When there are no words, don't force them.
Just be there.
10. Pay attention to your tires and brakes.
And remember these words: "Just an oil
change, please."
11. Save room for dessert. And share dessert
with someone you love.
12. The person you want to be with on your
saddest day . . . that's the person you marry.
13. A locker partner is a friend for life.
14. Never leave the room on a punt return.
Most plays in football can be seen one week
after the next. A punt return taken to
paydirt . . . that's a gem.
15.Tolerance is a virtue. Next time you're
really angry in line, take a breath. And try
this: consider places you'd rather not be.
16.When in doubt, Led Zeppelin.
17. Never make fun of another man.
(Thanks, Granddad.)
18.Two keys to a long life: don't smoke and
wear your seatbelt.
19. Tell her she's beautiful.
20. Invest money when you feel like you can't
afford to. (Thanks, Dad.)
21. If car keys are in your pocket, stop at two
beers. Soda makes a good chaser.
22. A bad movie is lost reading time that can't
be recovered.
23. Finish the job on time.
24. Worrying doesn't change yesterday or help
tomorrow. It only ruins today.
25. Hold hands at the altar.
26. Don't be afraid of Monday. Saturday's on
the way.
27. Eulogize your parents. No one knew
them better.
28. Be nice to the receptionist.
29. The words own and owe: one letter,
BIG difference.
30. Fatherhood is easy. Parenting is hard.
31. Expect the best. Be prepared for the worst.
32. A hug is worth a week of "I'm sorry."
33. A foot massage is worth a month of
"I'm sorry."
34. There are times we need to believe in
something larger than ourselves.
35. The world is a big place. See as much of it
as you can.
36. As painful as it is, death does not end a
relationship. Shared memories are a
slice of immortality.
37. The secret to a happy family:
two bathrooms.
38. DiMaggio's hitting streak will never
be surpassed. Don't waste your time with
the debate.
39. No one should challenge you more than
you challenge yourself.
40. Smile when you say goodbye.
However hard it may be. M
