OK, I Admit It; I'm in Middle-Age

I have been working on a serious article in my fledgling debate with friend and political adversary/challenger. Randy Inman. He has the disturbing ability to discern when my political views stray too far to the Left and need moderation. A recent conversation with my sister, an iconoclastic soul seven years my senior, made me awaken at 4:00 o'clock this morning with a few random thoughts.

Middle-Age

I have just celebrated my 73^rd birthday. At least, that's what I am told. Frankly, I do not remember all of them, but then I don't remember a lot of stuff. For example, I have been employed by Jackson-Hewitt Tax Services as Manager of a busy office situated in a large retail store started by a now- deceased gentlemen from Arkansas. This store is huge and its parking lot immense. There are two entrances into the store and I try and park near one of them; when I leave to go home, I never am certain about which door at which I entered. I look for Big Red, activate the alarm from the doohickey attached to the key and follow the noise. The point is, however, unless some miscreant has moved the car during the day, I should remember.

I have heard that the difference between forgetting things as we age and a serious disease is that, if I forget where I park, it's normal and natural. On the other hand, if I do not remember that I own a car, it's serious.

Anyway, I have always contended that "middle-age" starts ten years from wherever I am at the time. I am now, formally, announcing and acknowledging that I have entered "middle-age " but just by a hair -- like dipping a toe into cold ocean water at the beach.

Reading for fun

I have a habit of reading two books at once and I am now working my way through two truly fascinating books. First is Jeffrey Toobin's The Nine, a brilliant analysis of the United States Supreme Court, the Justices and the pressures and backgrounds that make them interpret statutes and the Constitution ion so vastly different ways. The other book is the newest John Gresham, The Verdict. It is, in my opinion, one of his best.

Both of these books explore the nature of decision making by Judges.