Frage 1

Have not met the right woman is the standard no-answer answer. More to the point the prospect of being the patriarch and breadwinner in a place like Grosse Pointe scared me. I would have been unhappy and may have ended-up with a heart attack. I retired young and had to do the things where my instincts led me.

Frage 2

It is a relevant question to me because I realize it may be getting more pronounced; better or worse, depending how you look at it. Have you ever seen the movie Cider House Rules with Tobey McGuire? I wake up most days with the instructions to the kids.

I thought this might be apparent (passive, no name) based on something I wrote earlier. Writing gives me confidence and the ability to solve. I have written research reports, memos, screenplays and stageplays, a novel, teleplays, legal briefs, lawsuits, legal defenses (e.g., wins against Social Security and Bank of America), D.O.R.A. complaints, and numerous forms of ethics complaints–these come top of mind. I’m good with email and even online dating profiles. People pay attention. I believe it is my most important skill and I wanted to be good at it. This blog, reinvented over the years but in this format (different URLs) for the last few years provides constant practice and updates.

Online dating is different at 65 years. “Let us be lovers we’ll marry our fortunes together.” I don’t think Simon and Garfunkel had any money back then. Friends, chat, I have to look at it that way. The woman who was after me in the beginning fizzled; I’m happy I found out. I thought my prospects may have changed but I’m happy it is actually fun. I’m secure in what I write and how I react. Even when retired, I have always been a consultant (smart and more), if that makes sense without explanation.

I’m happy I have a secure, valuable, spacious home. Over the years I have learned how to protect it; unincorporated Jefferson County and the Wild West is challenging. I am now very good at it, e.g., dealing with the Sheriff’s Department and Planning & Zoning. Now I am dealing with other legal issues and probate in Florida. I am as skilled as some lawyers and I can do things they can’t also. I am a good investor. My IRA and now I have S.S. have done well. I have a Mercedes and a Jeep and that is all I need. As implied, I have plenty to share. I enjoy the time I spend at home but I can handle, and want, more.

Frage 3

I really want to know. Wrong assumption. My parents never really paid attention or communicated about my intelligence. On standardized tests my scores are high percentile-wise.

I used to be poor (but still happy), 10-15 years ago. Decades ago I lost a lot in stock options when the dot com bubble burst. I still never went back to high-paying or management jobs. I started a company and worked at writing. Now, I am comfortable–about average, or above the median by 65-year old retirement standards. My income is so low I qualified for Medicaid and I don’t have to file tax returns; a little S.S. (I didn’t work that long), a home, and a tax-free IRA. My house has quadrupled in value and it is very inexpensive to live where I live.

Thursday I wrote and mailed a letter to my grifter brother/trustee. Friday I wrote an email and letter to DORA and State Farm. Oh, I was a narcissist (never malignant or dangerous or mean or harmful) and now I am reformed. I am my own person. Writing those letters makes me happy.

And that’s the thing about OurTime. Do you realize you need to share and respect another person?

One Warm Line: The Legacy of Stan Rogers. I still love folk music and Dick Cerri Music Americana in Washington, D.C. This is a beautiful documentary about why and where it comes from. The Mary Ellen Carter is always near the top of the annual folk music countdowns.