The Big "70"

This may sound a little self-centered but then that’s OK with me …
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The Big 70

This is the week of the big “70.” At least this is my week of my big “70.” Yep, I will be observing my 70th birthday on October 21. This is quite a feat for someone who has never been 70 before.

You know, you really don’t get to practice “old age.” You just get one shot at it with no dress rehearsals. Either you’re a smash hit or else you are off the charts.

I recall my personal definition of a teenager. A teenager is, “A restless bored human being just waiting around for something exciting to happen.” At least that is how I felt about it when I was a teenager. And now at age 70, I find myself still a little restless but not so bored. A lot of exciting things came along during my years leading up to this week.

Let’s see. There was the Pan American Jazz Band. I played trombone with that group till my military service ended in April 1961. Then with my accounting degree, I worked for a C. P. A. firm for a couple of years. Now get this: The C. P. A. firm was called Maschek, Hamby, Miller, Miller, Funchess and White. The receptionist had to say the whole thing every time she answered the phone.

I didn’t care much for accounting … too confining for my restless spirit. So I went into banking in Beaumont. With First Security National Bank for five years then with Village State Bank for three years. Then there was the church ministry. I was a minister for 22 years. Then I went into the death-care industry, working in sales for a funeral home in Beaumont before transferring to Houston to work in Personnel for the same company.

What does all this mean? Why am I sharing this with you? It may not mean much to anyone but me. Remember this my week of the big “70.” So I’m shouting it to the world.

It now appears after all of this time that I am a musician without a band, an accountant without an office, a banker without a bank, a preacher without a church, a salesman without a product and a personnel clerk without a title. Oh, they call me “New Hire Coordinator.” That sounds more official than calling me “The Clerk.”

But this all brings me down to … well, to now. What do I know about the big “70?” For one thing it took 70 years to get here. No one has ever reached 70 without first clearing the hurdles of the 30’s, the 40’s, 50’s, etc. This is why I have stated that, “I have been practicing for a long time to be 70.” Now that I am 70, I want to be sure I do it right.

As I think about all this, I’m reminded of loving parents who sacrificed mightily to provide for me a high degree of spiritual training as well as instilling within me the capacity to have love and respect for my fellowman. I think of my schoolteachers at J. L. Giles Elementary, MacArthur Junior High and South Park High School. Each one had great qualities to share with their students. They were good at what they did.

Then I married a beautiful Godly woman who has been a person of strength to me for more than 42 years. I consider her a gift from God and treat her as such. And our two beautiful children, also from God, have lifted my spirit daily.

Reaching the big “70” is not so bad. In fact, it’s great. You ought to try it.

Winston Hamby
Whamby2@houston.rr.com