When does one realize a mistake? Is a mistake ever singular, does it always involve a situation without retreat, redress, withdrawal, reorganization, humbling... a condition of expensive ‘egg on the face?

It sort of reminds me of many lives, many relationships which initially have begun with sunshine and happiness, only to drift into squalor and depression as loving associations are destroyed by slow deterioration. Then after years of subsisting in emotionally crowded confines of personality conflicts, some devastating earth-shaking event causes cataclysmic devastation.

It is surprising how much one can learn of another during brief encounters. I learned of his bowling prowess, of his encounters with the law during prohibition, of his family, and of his wife who poorly controlled her type one diabetes. I learned a great deal from him, but the greatest lesson was to begin to recognize the insidious onset of chronic depression, which I later called bartender’s disease.

As one ages, age becomes an associate. All or most of our actions are controlled by, modified, or inhibited by advancing age and associated problems. Initially, we laugh about aches and pains, clumsiness of actions, or memory loss. Later we rue the day of aging and wonder where youth or at least middle age has gone. We laugh at forgetfulness and silently curse the missed appointment, we recall days of full calendars but are happy with a day without ringing phones.

personalities never change as the population of the Senior Center ages. One observation; stack a couple of hundred seniors in a confined space such as this, and periodically the Reaper stalks the halls with his long steady all-encompassing scythe, takes a swing or so and the catalog of personalities changes; one down, one up within a few days. Always change continues.

The memory of my friend and his flashing spikes so far ahead of me on the track of the Little Ten conference reminded me during the years that track ribbons and medals, even Olympic Medals are cold to the touch when compared with the memories of friendship. I do hope the athletes take home more than medals from the Olympiad, that they take home some of the admiration for the fleeting spikes of the winning athlete, as seen by the other runners.