Try to live your life like Keith Richards
Natalie Cole-65 David Bowie-69 Alan Rickman-69 Glenn Frey-66 Keith Emerson-71 Frank Sinatra Jr.-72 Garry Shandling-66
All of the above have died in the last three months. None of them made it to what is now the life expectancy age of seventy-nine. It's pretty shocking when you hear about it. A lot of times it's sudden and unexpected. Both Sinatra Jr. and Shandling were fine in the morning and died a couple of hours later.
For those of us in our sixties, it hits hard. It lets us know that we are closer to the end than the beginning. Are we next? Have we done all we want to do with our own lives? If we go, will be be happy with what we've accomplished and what we've left behind? So many questions...
And then there's Keith Richards.
After every death you can hear jokes or see a meme about how Richards is still alive. They range from how we're going to leave a better world for Keith to the only things left will be the cockroaches...and Keith. Maybe they're all true. Let's face it, if you had started a death pool in the 1980's, no way you would have picked Shandling to go before Richards.
Keith has survived all his horrible choices and now look at him. He's become the role model on how to live your dream. He has a thirty-two year marriage and five grandchildren. In the last two years, he's written a children's book and released a new hit solo album. The Stones are touring again. They've been in South America and just played in Cuba. It's been a big week for the Castro's...Obama, Mick & Keith (Charley & Ronnie, too). Keith is even trying to talk the boys back into the studio to make a new record.
The dude is living his dream and more. Age isn't stopping him. Keith Richards has become my role model. Scary thought.
Now the point of this isn't that we should all aim to be playing lead guitar for the Stones....although how cool would that be. The point is we all have our own dreams. Things that are important to us. It's easy to make excuses. Work, family responsibilities, money. As I recently told a blogger friend, it's hard not to let real life suck away at your art and your soul. You have to decide what's important to you and go do it!
At our age, it's time to take some chances. Take that trip to the place you've always wanted to go. Ask out a girl who is way out of your league. Jump out of a plane. I never dreamed I would ever be quoting KC and the Sunshine Band but "Do a little dance. Make a little love. Get down tonight."
Now if you all will excuse me....I have a book to write.
Here's a story about a friend who didn't make the life expectancy age either.
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