Just a real quick update here before I head out for the Monday Hash run.

In a twisted kind of way the Dick’s attempt to undermine my relationship backfired biggly. My gal and I had a long conversation about where things stand and she showed a great deal of maturity in concluding that anything I may have done was in the past and has nothing to do with us. She said I’ve shown her the kind of man I am and she trusts her own judgment.

As we continued to talk, I was reminded of the generational gap issues some commenters here had warned me about. My gal told me that notwithstanding her love for me, she had goals in life she wanted to pursue. And at least one of those involves moving out of the country, perhaps returning to Japan. I was a little taken aback at first but then I realized that I could totally understand and relate. Hell, I was 50 years old when I left my friends, family, and comfortable life behind to move to Korea. That changed everything for me. I also thought of people in my past who put me on roads that I might not have otherwise traveled. Iris Breed, for example, convinced me to pursue a management career. KaraLynne Pope and her professor friends gave me the confidence to complete my college degree. I’m not saying there wasn’t some pain involved along the way, but looking back, I likely wouldn’t have been nearly as successful in life had I remained in my safe places.

My definition of love has not led to many successful relationships, but I was struck by my reaction to the news that I would likely lose my newly found relationship somewhere down the road. I told my gal that her happiness was what mattered the most to me, and I would support her pursuit of those goals, even if it meant that she would be taken away from me at some point in the future. I can’t be everything she wants and needs in life, but I can be supportive and loving wherever her life takes her. At my age, I pride myself on living one day at a time. At her age, she is right to dream about the future she most desires. I told her as long as we are together I will be happy to share my life. When the time comes for her to leave, I will love her and let her go.

Anyway, for a selfish man like me, that felt like a big step in the right direction.

Here are some photos from my morning on the beach.

Alright, there you have it. Maybe I’m living on borrowed time. But I’ll embrace each day as it comes and we will see what it brings. If and when the end comes, I may be sad, but I won’t be hurt. This is my time to give, just as so many others have given to me throughout my life.