A New Day Beckons

  It's a balmy 75°F at 8:42 AM on a Thursday, mid-January, as I sip my latte at a rooftop café in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Aah, nice.

  And it is nice as I realize that I'm not stuck in traffic, late for work. I'm not in a crowded subway, standing amongst men and women already sweating in their suits. I'm not hunkered down somewhere waiting out the snow storm that blew in last night.

  Nope. None of that. 

  Just sippin' my cup o' joe and contemplating life. It's been good at times. It's been tough at times. And some times were down right shitty. But now, times are good. 

  I worked hard for over 40 years to get to this point. Granted, hard is a relative term. I wasn't down in the mines digging up coal getting black lung with every breath nor on an Alaskan trawler losing a finger with every haul. 

  Nope. None of that. 

  But it's been a slog, I won't lie. A daily routine that brings on a certain numbness to life. The "rut" if you will: Alarm. Shower. Coffee. Off to work. More coffee. Work. Return home. Whoosh, 12 years go by. First grey hairs. First house. Third car. Candles multiply on birthday cakes. Whoosh, another 12 go by. No more hair! All new faces at work. Lots of retirement parties. Then it's yours. Now what?!?

  All this and more go through my mind as I bask in the morning warmth and gaze over the rooftops of the city. The rut forgotten, the routine just a dull ache and my days wonderfully unstructured. A new life beckons, full of sunshine and possibilities.

  And so, what to do today: Museum? Walking tour? Shopping? Maybe. Or will I meet someone? Have an interesting conversation? Learn something new? Be surprised? Who knows? And that's the fun part of it all: The day will take care of itself.