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The Screaming Moderate

As the Beatles said, I say it's my birthday

6/9/2022

8 Comments

 
 I turn 72 today.

Lordy.

Let me get two things out of the way:
  1. Getting older is way better than the alternative.
  2. I’m luckier than most, I know. I have a fabulous, smart, loving wife. I have three great daughters who gave me six beautiful grandchildren one of whom gave me, so far, one adorable great-granddaughter.

Ok, moving along.

I had a good career with jobs that were fun, challenging and rewarding. I retired about eight years ago and adapted to retired life quite quickly. And, I’m very good at being retired; I think I found my calling!

I live in a fabulous location. I’m having a good life. I have issues all old(er) folks have: the hearing aid arrives next week; the cataracts were done a couple years ago;  I had a stroke nearly 20 years ago that, thankfully, left few long-term issues.

I have more doctors than I have shoes. And my annual visits to doctors now take about a month to fit in rather than the one-and-done annual physical of years ago.

In short, lots more people have a lot more to complain about than I do.

I do have a few complaints, but they’re really not about me:
  • I wish our politics weren’t so divided and painful to watch
  • I wish there were more of us who answer policy issues with “let’s talk about it” than those who respond with immovable “yesses” or “no’s”
  • I wish kids weren’t brutally killed in their classrooms or anywhere for that matter
  • I wish people were not brutally killed while they were praying or getting groceries or, again, anywhere for that matter
  • I wish an 11-year-old girl didn’t have to smear herself with her best friend’s blood to survive a mass shooting
 Mostly, I wish wishes came true.


8 Comments
jane busker
6/10/2022 11:13:06 am

Beautiful

Reply
B. Jay
6/10/2022 01:38:59 pm

Thank you!

Reply
Maggie Brown
6/13/2022 10:10:31 pm

As always, you really know how to pack an emotional punch. I think somehow I missed your bday!?! Not sure how … unless I didn’t. 🤔

Reply
B. Jay
6/14/2022 03:41:20 am

Trixie, my birthday was June 9. But no worries. Whenever I get to talk with you is like a birthday!

Reply
Caryl A Felicetta
6/15/2022 11:39:41 am

As always, wise words. Happy birthday and here's to a healthy, peaceful new year.

Reply
B. Jay
6/15/2022 01:03:31 pm

Thank you! Hope all is well with you.

Reply
Nick Lieder
6/15/2022 12:41:15 pm

Happy birthday BJ. Sending wishes that your years to come are too many to count. Thank you also for your wise and well chosen words.
Peace to us all!

Reply
B. Jay
6/15/2022 01:04:24 pm

Thank you. I appreciate that. Best to you, Nick.

Reply



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    B. Jay Cooper

    B. Jay is a former deputy White House press secretary to Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He also headed the communications offices at the Republican National Committee, U.S. Department of Commerce, and Yale University. He is a former reporter and is the retired deputy managing director of APCO Worldwide's Washington, D.C., office.
    He is the father of three daughters and grandfather of five boys and one girl. He lives in Marion, Mass.

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