Fifty Years Old...are you kidding me?

Not that I necessarily dwell on these things much, but until about eight months ago I never imagined that on my 50th birthday I would wake up in a barracks with eighty Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen in Indiana.  You just can't make this stuff up.  But, there I was, on the 1st of April, just another day of training.  Actually the 1st and 2nd I attended a leadership conference with the other PRT COs on another part of the base, so I spent most of my birthday in a conference room.  There were some wonderful surprises along the way, including the team singing a terribly out of tune but very touching rendition of Happy Birthday at 6:45 in the morning.  I also received some great packages and cards from my wonderful family.   The next day was rather interesting as my second day at fifty started with me having to participate in a game of frisbee football first thing in the morning.  Although there is not suppose to be any tackling in this game, when you play with the Army it just sort of happens.  In fact, the first time I caught the frisbee, just inches from the goal line, I was tackled...by my own teammate.  It was actually a fun game and many were surprised that the old man could still get around.  When we returned to the conference room to continue the conference they presented some "awards" for the game.  I won "The Best Oldest Guy."  Not the best old guy...the best oldest guy which cut the category down to a whopping one.  It was pretty funny.  The best thing about the game was that our team dominated and I didn't get hurt (despite being tackled). 

Later in the day, as I was sitting in the conference room listening to a brief, I felt something on the back my head.  It almost felt like someone in the back of the room had thrown something at me as a joke.  I swiped at the back of my head and next thing I knew a yellowjacket was sinking his stinger into the front of my neck.  The first bee of the year and he went right after me.  Having two siblings with allergies to bees I was a little worried.  My neck had a nice red dot for a couple of hours and then it subsided so I was in the clear.  I cannot remember the last time I was stung.  Hopefully it is a long time before it happens again. 

So, I never really thought about fifty until I had to say I was fifty.  Now when I say I am fifty it sounds very, very old.  Yeah, yeah, I know.  You are only as old as you feel, blah, blah, blah.  It still sounds old.  Despite the age I am still here training alongside my teammates.  Some are younger than my two oldest children.  Today I was lying in a field with my weapon in hand training on patrol techniques.  I wouldn't have it any other way.