When I’m 64

When I get older, losing my hair, many years from now,
Will you still be sending me a Valentine, birthday greetings, bottle of wine?
If I’d been out ’till quarter to three, would you lock the door?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I’m sixty-four?

Hmm——mmm—mmmh.
You’ll be older, too. Aaah, and if you say the word, I could stay with you.

I could be handy, mending a fuse, when your lights have gone.
You can knit a sweater by the fireside, sunday mornings, go for a ride.
Doing the garden, digging the weeds, who could ask for more?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I’m sixty four?

Every summer we can rent a cottage in the Isle of Wightif it’s not too dear. We shall scrimp and save.
Ah, grandchildren on your knee, Vera, Chuck, and Dave.

Send me a postcard, drop me a line stating point of view.
Indicate precisely what you mean to say, yours sincerely wasting away.
Give me your answer, fill in a form, mine forever more.
Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I’m sixty four?

Not so much, it turns out.

She’s living in Eastern Washington with her third husband.

I’m living here in Tacoma with my second wife.

Whodda thunk it? Both of our parents were married their whole lives. I guess I always assumed the same.

Guess I should’ve known better since everyone around us was divorced or getting divorced. But it never really crossed my mind.

And perhaps that was part of the problem.

As I’ve discovered, nothing lasts forever and thinking so probably means it won’t even last as long as it might otherwise have.

Today it seems the only thing you can really count on is the rain, at least here in the Pacific Northwest. Skye and I just got back from our daily walk, and the sky was as dark as Skye’s coat. We both came back soaked.

14 thoughts on “When I’m 64”

  1. Happy Birthday from South Africa. I am bemused by how many people wish me “Prosperous New Year” as if material things are the most important in life. Just having a miserable Christmas period due to very bad flu made me realize health and a positive outlook mean so much more. Keep inspiring us!

  2. I read such a sadness in this post. Is it my own projection? I want to extend a birthday hug and wish you a good year ahead, filled with whatever makes a year a good one for you.

  3. 64! Wow! Happy Birthday!

    I’ve been reading a book published in 1972 called MANDALA (by Jose and Miriam Arguelles, with a foreward by Chogyam Trungpa) which talks about the I Ching and its 64 hexagrams.

    So when I read your post, WHEN I’M 64, I got out my copy of the I Ching. Here is some of what Richard Wilhelm’s translation of the I Ching says about the 64th hexagram, BEFORE COMPLETION:

    “The hexagram BEFORE COMPLETION represents a transition from chaos to order. This hexagram comes at the end of the Book of Changes. It points to the fact that every end contains a new beginning. Thus it gives hope to men. The Book of Changes is a book of the future.” (page 252 — THE I CHING OR BOOK OF CHANGES)

    Happy New Year!

  4. Happy New Year and Happy Birthday, Loren. Your blog has inspired me to take my camera with me to Lacamas Lake when I walk. You would be surprised how much building is going on there–hardly out in the country anymore.

  5. Maybe it’s because I’ve had the luxury of seeing you face to face…but I don’t share the reading of your Beatles’ bit as pessimistic–except in the sense that you commonly voice a sort of Norwegian (or Eeyorian)view. Just matter of fact. You don’t expect glory and you don’t find much—except in the plumage of birds, a winter walk. That’s fine with you, and you don’t need fixing, comforting.
    It’s like NW weather…a passing cloud, a fierce
    squall. Then sun again.

  6. I certainly don’t feel down about hitting 64. Considering the recent past, I feel blessed to be here to celebrate it.

    As far as being “down,” I’m a little tired of the renlentless rain, but not excessively down.

    Looking back, I wish I’d been able to retain some of my better “illusions,” foolish beliefs like love is forever.

    Luckily, like my buddy Skye, most of the time I don’t have brains enough to think much beyond now.

    Let the clouds clear a little and I’ll be singing ” Zipee Dee Doo Dah” again.

  7. You know, Mr. Webster, you got me started on Jackson Browne so many years ago. I still maintain that this is one of my favorite parts from a song:

    I’m gonna find myself a girl
    Who can show me what laughter means
    And we’ll fill in the missing colors
    In each other’s paint-by-number dreams
    And then we’ll put our dark glasses on
    And we’ll make love until our strength is gone
    And when the morning light comes streaming in
    We’ll get up and do it again
    Get it up again

    I’m going to be 26 soon. How long will it last?

    I hope you had a good birthday.

  8. My first time passing here,guess I got good luck to be able to join you. The last day of the last year it snowed for the first time here in Beijing, China. Thanks for the sharing, Loren;) Happy Happy Chinese Dog Year!!

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