In what ways do you communicate online?

Emails, instagram, Facebook and texting, but my favorite way to communicate with people is a good old fashioned phone call. And just like writing in cursive it’s become a lost art. I am not a huge fan of technology, I feel it takes away more than it gives, maybe it’s because I am older, but I watch how the youth of the world communicate and I find it heartbreaking that they are unable or unwilling to communicate face to face with another human being. I have never began a relationship on line, why bother there are thousands of people in my neighborhood and I am personable and friendly, but if I’m not drawn to you I keep on walking, if I’m approached I do engage in conversation and move on. Human interaction is simple, don’t complicate it, trust your instincts and gut feelings you’ll never go wrong.

Think back on your most memorable road trip.

I used to drive from Sarasota Florida to Buffalo New York every spring and visa versa in the fall, I had 2 weeks to make the trip, but my most memorable trip wasn’t a road trip at all. I was 18 years old in 1978 the year of the great blizzard, the state of CT. had to shut down there was so much snow, nearly 3 feet. After a day or two they opened a few of the major roads but a lot were nearly impassable, I called a friend to see if he wanted to go driving around he said yes I picked him up he gets in the car and hands me a hit of acid we both take it and hit the road. First thing I did was find a gas station and filled my car and an extra gas can, we grabbed some gas station food and drinks it wasn’t long after leaving the gas station that the acid began to kick in. First thing is the laughing at the slightest comments, we found an empty parking lot and started doing donuts, slipping and sliding, music blasting, everything spinning so fast we had to stop and get out of the car, we were seeing different things non of them were real, like the snow men that came walking out of the store, a store that had been closed because of the snow, they were talking smack so we got back in the car and ran them over, only it was a snow pile and not snow men. At that point we left and headed down town the road was a living being pushing the car from left to right, right to left, up and down traffic lights were flashing all different colors all the office buildings were melting into the streets. That was the beauty of LSD you saw things that never happened weren’t real only existed in your mind, but felt real, so real in fact you can remember the experience 43 years later.

What snack would you eat right now?

ICE CREAM!!! Ice cream is my heroine, my booze, the monkey on my back. It’s always been my go to for dessert, and to keep it healthy I do not pair it with pie or cake. On its own it’s perfect why ruin it with cake, pie or brownie? Thru my lifetime I have had to build a healthy relationship with ice cream not just indulge in it. My mantra has always been “ there’s always room for ice cream “ nowadays it’s nothing like that. I will skip lunch to have ice cream after dinner or make a meal out of ice cream, but then I must fast for at least 14 hours the next day in order to maintain my manly physique.

Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it?

I was into GI Joe action figures, the original one, through my childhood I would ask for them and all the accessories for every birthday and every Christmas. My parents were able to fulfill my expectations almost always, but I knew they also had three other boys to buy for. That allowed my imagination to soar and created a desire to join the military, sadly when I became of age to enlist my parents so no fucking way!! It was 1978 when I turned 18 and a lot changed over the past 12 or so years, I was able to keep all of my GI Joe dolls and accessories in 2 plastic storage containers and carried them with me throughout my life. I was 38 years old when I moved away, as I was sorting and packing my belongings sorting out what’s important and what’s expendable I came across the 2 containers and spent the next few hours reliving my childhood, these things were priceless to me and I wanted to keep them safe, but moving away there was a lot of uncertainty and I didn’t dare risk losing my childhood so I asked my younger brother to store them for me until I get settled in wherever I end up. The move was really spontaneous, there was a friend on the other end, but no job prospects no place to live I just figured once I got there I would get a job and a place to live, and that’s what happened more or less. After a few years, once I realized I wasn’t going back home for anything more than a visit I decided to drive back home and get the rest of my belongings. I had 3 weeks and stayed with my parents, one day I went to my brothers house to get by GI Joe stuff, but they were gone! His excuse was they got ruined when the garage roof started leaking. I knew it was bullshit because me and my other brother put a new roof on that garage 5 years prior. I was livid and almost lost it a few times, but kept my cool and got to work finding the truth. It did take quite a few months, but it turned out his wife put all my stuff on e-bay and sold all of it. I wanted to destroy them for selling my childhood, but I just walked out of their lives and have never spoken with them again. Up until my parents passed I went there every year for Christmas the whole family would be at my parents house everyone exchanging hugs and kisses, when my brother and his wife approached me and they got close enough I to them both how betrayed I felt by their actions what I thought of them and to never come near me again. That was 23 years ago.

What are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life?

For me it’s always been about a quality of life. I would love to be a centurion, but with predisposed genetics it’s most likely not going to happen. Every family has a health history, our forefathers gave us the genetics weather it’s great hair, skin, teeth or like my family where high blood pressure affected every generation as well as some sort of cancer. Both of my parents died from cancer, diabetes is also a family factor. We also have the drinking gene, on my mother’s side all my uncles were drinkers, it also may have been caused by the women they married. So through all that I have learned early on to take control of my own health, both parents smoked, although my mom quit when she was probably in her late 30’s my dad smoked cigars his whole life. My brothers and I all smoked, my brothers still do I stopped 25 years ago. Sugar is an issue and my two older brothers are diabetic, I have been managing my own food for over forty years, high blood pressure is a huge issue in my family all three of my brothers take meds for it and I was very close to taking them myself, but years ago I learned that stress is a major contributing factor so I learned how to manage it without meds, I walk everyday, workout at the gym, ride my bike, eat right do yoga and meditation. It all works very well I must say, it took a bunch or years, but after over forty years I have not taken medication because I don’t have any medical issues. My hopes are to live a full satisfied life, one I’m proud of, one that leaves warm memories. It doesn’t matter if it’s in my eighties nineties or even into the hundreds as long as it’s well lived.

What are your biggest challenges?

Resisting the urge choke the life out of some people… I’m kidding, really it’s a joke, I certainly don’t want to offend anyone. The challenges I face are every day items, strive to be a better person, listen more than I speak, be kinder, love thy fellow man. It would be so much easier if my fellow man was on the same page, but honestly they’re not even in the same book. So I keep focusing on what’s important to me, my beautiful wife. I catch myself talking over her at times and now I catch it before I do it, that’s a big improvement for me. I do love and adore our circle of friends and have always shown them the love and respect they deserve. Patients is a virtue I am working on, at home it’s easy, but out in the world my patients is tried. We travel and love it, when we travel overseas my patients is great when we travel throughout America my patients is as thin as the hair on my head. For any of you that travel you know how much nicer the people in other countries are, I don’t speak or understand anything but English so I wouldn’t know if they were talking smack about me or not. I try to believe they are genuinely being nice. Maybe I’m wrong and just naive, if that’s the case my carpel tunnel pain will be from choking out rude and nasty people and not from writing… I’m kidding, Happy New year to you and your loved ones.