In one of my prior blogflections, I discussed that its a daily ritual for most middle-age and elderly people to read obituaries and funeral notices in the morning newspaper. You can read about it here: Reading the obits

Well yesterday was no exception and during my morning read, I learned that a longtime client of mine recently passed away at the too young age of 51 years. He was an individual tax client who I only did work for once a year at tax time. In recent years, we didn’t have face-to-face meetings because he’d mail his tax documents and information to me and I would mail him the completed tax returns.

This year, however, he did come into my office to bring me his tax documents and other information. As I greeted him and we engaged in middle-age man small talk, I looked deep in his eyes and saw a person who had aged a lot, did not appear to be healthy, and had a very strong smell of alcohol on his breath. It was a sad sight and left me feeling helpless as to what I should say or do. The rest of our brief and unscheduled meeting was limited to more middle-age man small talk and a how is your boy (son) doing question from me. He loved his 14-year son with all his heart. That was the last time we talked.

Ill never ask and probably never know why his life ended so soon at the too young age of 51 years and, quite frankly, it’s really none of my business. After reading his obit yesterday morning, Ive been constantly thinking about the last time I saw him while asking myself if I should have done something different.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

It was an early evening on the streets of Lisbon, Portugal in November 2001 when I had to get honest that it was time to buy a pair of reading eyeglasses. I was looking at a Lonely Planet travel guidebook for Portugal, trying to find an affordable hotel for the night and having a difficult time as my wife stood by my side.

Playing with the distance of the book and squinting my eyes were to no avail the lighting was poor, the print too small, and my 46-year young middle-age man eyes were screaming at the challenge and giving me a rite of passage and a middle-age man moment of truth.

The rock bottom moment that was the straw breaking the camels back was when a young woman from Australia about age 22 – who along with her male friend from South Africa were accompanying my wife and me from Seville, Spain to Lisbon – realized that I was having a difficult time. In a random act of kindness, she politely grabbed the guidebook from me and with the easiest of ease read to me what I was unable to do on my own. It was at the split second that I had to get rigorously honest and admit to myself that it was time to get some help. When I returned home about one week later, I purchased my first pair of over-the-counter reading eyeglasses, some 1.00s as I called them that I still use to this day.

Well lately I find myself in the same situation as that early evening in Lisbon over 7 years ago, and Ive come to the conclusion that its time for a pair of 1.25s.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

This is an update of my continuing intermittent fasting (IF) journey, focusing on last week in Mexico City. I last provided an update on April 21st here: These are what I take

Last week in Mexico City, my plan was to practice IF Monday through Friday and I actually did so on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday I didnt, however, in a spirit of not being anti-social, pressures IF practitioners constantly face from the rest of the world. I resumed IF on Thursday and developed a real bad headache by the afternoon. I initially attributed this bad headache to Mexico City air pollution, a hot sunny afternoon, and possible dehydration, but had a similar headache the following day, Friday afternoon, despite drinking lots of water. Therefore, I made a business decision to eat early that afternoon and ended up eating quite a bit of food that day.

Saturday and Sunday, were non-IF days according to my IF plan and I also ate rather well on both of those days.

Just for the record, I ate very well in the evening on both IF and non-IF days. The Enchilada Michocanas dinner I ate on the Sunday evening we arrived was absolutely delicious and makes my mouth salivate just thinking about it. So were the three dinners we ate at the homes of my wifes cousins on other days.

Since returning home late Sunday night, I practiced IF on Monday and Tuesday of this week and that is also my plan for today.

The positive discoveries of IF that I discussed on April 21st are motivating factors for me continuing IF. Currently, my bodyweight and body fat have stabilized, my strength and strength endurance is down, and so is my muscle mass. In all fairness, part of my strength and strength endurance erosion must be attributed to my training, or lack of it, due to a busy work season and travel. Ill be able to verify this as I ramp up my training effort and intensity in the months ahead.

So there you have it an update of my intermittent fasting in Mexico City.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

I got home past midnight from Mexico City and was too tired to compose a creative and original blogflection so this is what it is for today: You can always pick tomatoes

It’s a perfect blogflection as it’s still fresh in my mind how hard the Mexican people work to put food on their table and have a place to live. I’ll have more to share in the days ahead.

It’s not the creative and original blogflection that I had the best intentions to deliver, but it’s better than nothing, an oldie but goodie out of the closet.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Today is another Sunday in the sky, just like last Sunday, as I return home from Mexico City on an Aeromexico flight. Ill take Monday off to recover before returning to work on Tuesday.

Reflecting on my week in Mexico City, Im sure Ill feel like Dorothy in the classic movie Wizard of Oz, clicking her ruby red slippers while repeating to herself that theres no place like home.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

From Mexico City, Id like to thank all members of the Pierini Fitness Substitute Dream Team for the outstanding job you did managing the blogflection factory during my absence. Thank you Tom, Charles Long, Greg VRT Man Mangan, David Hill and Jim Carlson for your great middle-age man blogflections. Lets do it again soon.

Ill soon be back at the blogflection factory, eager to cyberspace utter a blogflection or two about my Mexico City experiences.

Thanks fellas, you did a great job.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

This is the fifth and final of five consecutive daily blogflections by middle-age men guest bloggers. Todays guest blogger is Jim Carlson, a real estate professional with over 30 years of experience serving corporate and institutional owners with real estate sales, leasing and property management. More importantly, Jim is a bona-fide middle-age man with a level of fitness that the seat of his pants doesnt rip when he bends over, and he can run up a flight of stairs without being winded at the top.

What follows is Jim Carlsons guest blogflection.

Often in my life as a middle age man, thoughts come to mind such as did I choose the right vocation or career. Should I have been a fireman, politician, professional athlete, doctor, lawyer, etc? As I reflect upon possible careers and vocations, the thought enters my mind of whether I listened to God. Is my current career His plan for me, or did the voice from God in my younger years say something different. I look back at the last 30 years and ask myself why I have done my type of work as a real estate professional. I was given a chance to choose what I hoped was Gods Plan. Some were not given this chance to respond or a chance to answer Gods call.

A news article I read last month reported a small plane crash in Butte, Montana, killing seven adults and seven children. Among these casualties were two children, two sons-in law and five grandchildren of the owner of Family Planning Associates. More innocent unborn infants never experience life due to abortions performed by Family Planning Associates; they perform more abortions than Planned Parenthood.

The plane crashed in Holy Cross Cemetery, the site of a memorial for local residents to pray the rosary at the “Tomb of the Unborn”. Many biblical readings can sure explain this providential event.

In my prayer and reflections is a question that I read a few years ago that had a profound effect upon me. It goes like this: Lord, how come there are so few priests, doctors, and those that are really your true servants? Our Lord responded, Because you are killing all of them.

This is the fourth of five consecutive daily blogflections by middle-age men guest bloggers. Todays guest blogger is David Hill, a financial advisor who helps clients develop cohesive, comprehensive financial direction. Hes also a bona-fide middle-age man and an accomplished fitness enthusiast. A passion for mountain climbing was awakened eighteen years ago with a first unsuccessful climb of 14,162 Mt. Shasta. 11 subsequent climbs, along with summiting a variety of 19,000-23,000 peaks in Africa, South America, and Alaska, as well as aspiring to climb all fifteen 14,000 summits in California, are his expression of living life fully.

What follows is David Hills guest blogflection.

Whoa, am I in still in the middle of “middle age” or am I more closely aligned with the “seasoned age”, as I am within six months of turning age 60? Last night, Tony Robbins showed up on another hyper infomercial of Unlimited Possibility available for each of us. After about ten minutes, I turned off the TV, and I turned in for the night with my wife.

This morning, I experienced an unsettling feeling, as I found myself questioning whether I have lived big enough, expansively, prosperously, creatively, lovingly enough for the short privilege of life I have been granted. The question marks stirred discomfort, sadness, anxiety, and dissatisfaction, as I questioned the value of how I have lived my life, what is the value of my presence, and whom I could be or have if only. As I shared the discomfort with my wife, she reminded me of the value of my questions, because they are an opportunity to reconfirm–am I living life awake, as a distinctive human being who is making a difference?

This morning, I also had an appointment to be interviewed by my daughters partner to assist him in the writing of a college paper, as to why people travel. The magic of the synchronicity of life seems to always show up (whether or not we are aware of it), as it did this morning. I was offered the opportunity to step out of my life-probing questions, and to answer other thought-provoking questions–what inspires me to travel and climb mountains all over the world?

As I stumbled to find the perfect answers, the introspection that unfolded, as well as the words that coalesced, stimulated a profound sense of appreciation for the opportunity I have been given to expand vistas, to learn differences, to share connection, to live history, to behold beauty, to honor magnificence, to step out of the grip of comfort, and open up to the exhilaration of freedom and discovery, when I step into a genuinely new frame of reference of experience outside my home community.

What eventually follows is that I am inspired to share the sensitivity awakened, the perspectives enlivened, and the vibrancy stirred. In that moment, I am reminded of the Contribution I am to whomever I connect and wherever I land, because of all that I have accomplished, received, and integrated as the distinctive traveler, professional, father, husband, citizen, and spiritual being I am. Thus, for a precious moment, I experience the Grace of relief, that the value of life is not about how much I have accomplished or how I look as an individual. It is about who I am willing to be, as an inspired presence for others.