My Life As A Hobby

Well, in just a few days it’s going to happen. A small number of students at the University of Alabama will discover  that a dinosaur still exists - one that is quite rare, but aren’t quite extinct.   Specifically, this variety of dinosaur walks slowly on two legs, carry’s  an iPad ., and gets a Social Security check.  The scientific name is Antiquitus Academius , which is commonly known as “very  old student”. And if you haven’t guessed,  the dinosaur is me - a 71 year-old man who’s headed back to college. Even though I’m merely auditing a course on magazine writing ,  I will guarantee you I’m the oldest student on campus during the fall semester.   In the world of academia, going back to college school  in your late thirties is considered ancient. At 71, I’m sure to be considered prehistoric. I’m older than the professor, for goodness sake. Rather than be embarrassed by the situation, I’ve decided to have fun with it. For example, ...

There are a lot of sci-fi movies and Twilight Zone episodes about someone who invents a time machine and goes back in time to make a change in their lives.  However, they soon discover it causes huge repercussions in the present day.  But what happens when part of your past comes back into your life in the here and now? I think the honest answer is: you can’t be sure. It depends on the circumstances.  I’ll let you know. That’s because last week I checked my voicemail and discovered a very unusual message. It was from Jean, a girl from my distant past, who wanted to talk to me. I was genuinely surprised for two reasons: It was almost 50 years ago - that’s a half-century, folks. Our relationship ended when she broke it off with me. That hurt eventually mellowed into fond memories I’ve pressed between the pages of my mind, like an old flower. I revisit them now and again. I’ve even written about the breakup, because I believe the pain of loss is an important life lesson t...