Six Month Countdown
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
The six-month countdown to my 60th birthday began on March 10th. I’m excited and looking forward to meeting my fitness goals by September 10th!
My wife told me the other day, “Wow, you’re really focused on your 60th birthday!” I replied that I like to set goals for myself. Otherwise, life without goals is a bit boring. Hence the countdown to my 60th birthday.
It’s hard to believe I will soon be 60. It only seems like I was in high school and still playing football yesterday. What the hell happened?
Let me tell you about my hometown of Barberton, Ohio.
Barberton’s population was 29,000 (now 24,000) when I was in high school. It was mainly a working-class town.
Barberton was a football and basketball powerhouse during the 1970s. The BHS boys’ basketball team was ranked #2 in the country in 1977, and the football team was ranked #2 in Ohio in 1977 or 1978. Both were coached by legendary coaches (Rudy Sharkey and Jack Greynolds) who instilled an unbelievable work ethic in their teams. There was no better place to grow up than in Barberton in the 1970s and early 1980s.
For such a small town, Barberton pumped out an unbelievable number of Division 1 athletes during the 1970s. It was a very competitive town, and you had better work your ass off if you wanted to get on the field or the basketball court. In short, I grew up in a high-energy town.
During my first two years of high school, I lifted weights at the high school football stadium at 6:00 a.m. with my friends Todd and Clint. Our parents took turns driving us to our workouts. That’s how hungry we were back then. Anything to get on the football field.
As I mentioned above, Rudy Sharkey and his staff drove us hard during football practices, especially the dog days of August. We were all chewed out regularly. “Johns, get your g******m ass over here!” You knew you were in trouble if you heard that! The coaches pushed us until we nearly dropped dead. The lesson was that we were ALWAYS more capable than we thought. They pushed us to the limit and then beyond. I have carried this lesson with me since then.
In short, my experiences playing Barberton football taught me valuable life lessons and helped me develop a hellacious work ethic.
What am I getting at with this look back?
I’m attacking my six-month countdown with the gusto of my 18-year-old self. I go to the gym six days a week, taking Sunday off. I often lift in the morning, as I did in high school. I’m approaching my 60th birthday with the energy of a teenager. I admit that I did not expect this burst of energy at this stage of my life.
The fact that it’s now only six months until my 60th birthday has me excited. I’ve heard so much about folks going through a “mid-life crisis.” NOT ME! I’m going into this full bore!
One of my favorite life quotes comes from the late Radomir Kovacevic (1954-2006), a champion judoka from Serbia and Olympic coach who believed:
This is life! This is what made you! Hundreds of millions of sperms, all equals, all swimming to see which will reach the egg first, and only one will see the sun, the light of the moon, only one can make you! To be born is the biggest victory against the biggest odds in the biggest competition anywhere, ever—ohhhhh, what a champion! But a champion for what? To watch television, drink Coca-Cola and eat McDonald’s? No! We must continue with the same effort we achieved by out swimming millions! We must keep proving we are worthy of that victory!
Heck yes!
What the hell are you doing if you don’t have a goal?
What the hell are you doing if you wander aimlessly through life?
You made it this far, as Radomir points out. Don’t waste your time on this planet.
Suggested Additional Reading
Before you go elsewhere on the Internet, please consider buying me a beer or a cup of coffee!
I need your help defraying the increasing expenses of the blog/website. I’ll recognize you for your contribution. 😉
A huge thank you in advance!
Make a one-time donation
Make a monthly donation
Make a yearly donation
Choose an amount
Or enter a custom amount.
Your contribution is appreciated.
Your contribution is appreciated.
Your contribution is appreciated.
DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly
[…] many of you know, one of my goals for my 60th birthday is to perform 60 push-ups on that day. To that end, I’ve been doing test push-ups. Until […]
[…] Six Month Countdown […]