Time Passages

Well I’m not the kind to live in the past
The years run too short and the days too fast
The things you lean on, are the things that don’t last
Well it’s just now and then, my line gets cast
Into these time passages
There’s something back there that you left behind
Oh, time passages – Al Stewart (1978)

As Al Stewart so eloquently described, I occasionally find myself slipping into those time passages of my younger self. Here are some prominent memories of me through the decades:

Ones – As a youngster, my memories are clearly filled with time with my family. Summer vacations and seeing my grandparents and great aunts and uncles during the holidays were always enjoyable times. I remember listening to Phillies games on my transistor radio, seeing the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show, and watching JFK’s funeral on TV. But for me, one of the major events that shaped my life when I was young occurred when I was 7 years old, and my teacher recommended that I skip 3rd grade. My parents agreed, and I was one of seven kids in my 2nd grade class that got pulled out of class for a time each day to learn 3rd grade material in preparation for skipping right to 4th grade the following year. While I did fine scholastically, if I could do it again, I probably would not have skipped a year. It resulted in me being younger than almost all of my classmates throughout the rest of my school years, and I always felt a bit out of place in school. I eventually adapted, but I think school would have been less stressful for me at that age if I stayed with my friends that were my age.

Teens- My teen years were the time for me become more independent. I didn’t date much, but I had a close group of friends that I hung out with regularly. My parents were loving but strict. They watched over me pretty closely, and I did what they said. Then I joined Boy Scouts, which gave me a chance to get away for a weekend every month to go camping away from mom and dad, figuring things out on my own. There were good times and bad times, but I had to make my own decisions when I was away with the Scouts. I never made it to Eagle Scout- I was more interested in having fun than getting badges, but I always looked forward to those camping trips. A big part of my development was going to Philmont Scout Camp in the wilderness in New Mexico’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains, where I spent 12 days backpacking over 60 miles, stopping at various camps along the way for activities like horseback riding, shooting black powder rifles, fly fishing, rock climbing, and hiking up the iconic “Tooth of Time” mountain. As they say, you go to Philmont as a boy, and come back as a man. It had such a big impact on me, I went back later as an adult group leader.

20s- The 20s were all about starting a career and getting married. I met Eva at the Fox Chase Cancer Center (formerly the Institute for Cancer Research) where we were both research technicians working in the Division of Clinical Research under Nobel laureate Baruch Blumberg. I was 22 years old when we met, and we got married two years later. That was another big step for me- I commuted to college, so I never lived on my own until I got married. We focused on our careers – by that time we had both taken jobs at the Merck pharmaceutical company, and Eva was also going to school at night. We also did a lot of travelling- honeymooning at Young Island in the West Indies, cruising the Mediterranean and visiting Egypt, Greece, Israel and Turkey along the way, hiking the Grand Canyon, taking in the nightlife in Las Vegas, visiting Hollywood, and relaxing in the Hawaiian Islands. We attended the Live Aid concert in Philadelphia, and participated in Hands Across America. We loved live music even back then- I attended far too many concerts in my 20s to mention them all, but I know they included countless Chicago and Robert Hazard shows, along with David Bowie (“Serious Moonlight” tour), Prince (“Purple Rain” tour), Bruce Springsteen, Dan Fogelberg, the Hooters, and many others. Some great memories!

30s- My 30s were all about having a family- all 3 of our sons were born while I was in my 30s. It was a very joyous (and busy) time in my life. We lived in a new development in East Norriton PA for several years, along with several other young families with children. There were lots of play dates and neighborhood parties. I was the “commissioner” of our neighborhood fantasy football league. But as our children approached school-age, we decided to move to another new development in Harleysville, PA, where we have lived ever since. All of our boys eventually joined Cub Scouts, and I naturally dove right in, starting as a den leader and then serving as Cubmaster for many years. With young children, our vacations were primarily to Ocean City NJ every summer, a favorite family spot. We also visited Florida, where Eva’s parents had retired. Her dad sadly passed away from cancer during this time, which was hard on us all. he was the first of our parents to pass.

40s- My 40s were probably the peak of my professional career. I became Director of Adverse Event Information Management at Merck, responsible for the global computer systems that stored our adverse reaction data. I worked with global regulatory agencies on task forces related to medical terminology and industry-wide electronic safety data standards. As such, I had the opportunity to travel quite a bit to attend and speak at meetings, and I got to visit Japan, England, Greece, Germany, Italy, Belgium, France, and Switzerland at various times. I remember seeing the U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright at our hotel in Geneva on one of my trips. When Kevin was 12 years old, I took him with me on a business trip to London, and then I took some time off and we also went to Paris and Rome. It was the first of several trips abroad I took with each of my sons. I always felt it was important for them to see the world and learn about other cultures. It was also during my 40s that I started Tae Kwon Do, attending classes with two of my sons, eventually earning my third degree blackbelt. After the kids moved on, I continued to take classes, working towards my 4th degree black belt, but I ended up quitting when my body started telling me to stop- it was taking a toll on my knees, and I developed a fear of breaking bones more than breaking boards.

50s- I made it to the half-century mark! I remember this as being the time when my Merck career was in decline, and I decided to take an early retirement. I had time to start hiking again, and summited Mount Fuji in Japan (At 58, I was the oldest person in my tour group of about 25 hikers from around the world). I also started volunteering as an usher at the Sellersville Theater, a local music/entertainment venue. That subsequently turned into a part-time job as a house manager, where I got to meet and work with some of my favorite musicians. I have some great memories of those years in my second career, including managing shows for Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues, chatting with actor/musician Jeff Daniels in the green room, picking up Todd Rundgren at his hotel and driving him to the theater, attending a radio interview with Thomas (“Blinded Me With Science”) Dolby to promote his show, picking up comedian Paula Poundstone at the Lehigh Valley Airport and then later chatting with her for a long time outside her hotel when I dropped her off, going through Blood Sweat and Tears’ Al Kooper’s belongings in his hotel room when he sent me back to search for a digital disk he forgot and needed for the show, hearing comedian Louie Anderson during sound check ask his opening act to tell him their dirtiest joke because he wanted to ensure it would be a family-friendly show, and giving Leon Russell a short ride to the theater in my dad’s old Buick LeSabre, to which Leon said “They don’t make cars like this anymore!” Fun times!

60s- I’m now starting the next phase of my life- no work responsibilities, and just living the good life, spending time with family, babysitting our grandchildren, traveling, hiking, volunteering, playing with our cats, going to concerts, cheering on our local sports teams, binge watching the latest Netflix series, and taking a nap whenever I want. And I have a 50th High School Reunion coming up this year. But this is also a time of dealing with various medical issues and seeing beloved friends and family members pass- it’s the ups and downs of the “golden years”. In my 60s I live in the moment of every day, but every now and then it’s nice to let my line get cast into those “time passages” and remember my younger life, while I also look forward to whatever new adventures lie ahead.

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