TODAY... is my birthday. I am 54.

[givemebackmycountry]

I have seen:

Eisenhower and Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers as a NYC born and bred Irish Catholic asshole.

I have seen:

JFK and RFK and MLK all shot dead.
LBJ and Jackie in her blood splattered suit.
Jack Valente standing in the background.
The New York Mets in 1962 playing in the Polo Grounds.

The Viet Nam war, and Hanoi Jane and Woodstock, the Hippies and the Yippies and the SLA, and the Black Panthers and the Chicago Dem Convention and Leon Klinghofer and Patty Hearst and Abbie Hoffman, The Beatles, and the first time Cousin Brucie played "Whole Lotta Love" on WABC on my 3 dollar TRANSISTOR radio and I heard Jimmy Page rip that guitar solo off I lost my mind.
Then I heard Hendrix, The WHO, Janis, The Stones, The Beach Boys, I could go on for days.
Kent State and Watergate and I am not a crook...
The flunky (Reagan) and the Monkey.
God, it's overwhelming to me and it's so scary.

It's past 3am and my memory is clouded because I have already started to celebrate my longevity.
TONIGHT, I will climb Very deep into a bottle of VERY good tequila and I will have a very nice meal.

Goddammit, I've earned it.
And I don't remember half of it.

Give me time and a clear head.

[Hannah Bell]

1. let me be the first: salud.

[Skittles]

2. man walking on the moon - live

:thumbsup:

[EFerrari]

3. Happy birthday.

:party:

[Drunken Irishman]

4. But hey, you're livin in the times we'll be talkin' bout years from now.

The moment we took our country back.

[napoleon_in_rags]

5. I'm deep into a bottle of wine!

And I say HAPPY B-DAY!

These experiences are so precious. I learned such a deep respect when I worked at the nursing home in my youth, and had the honor of working with a lot of WWII vets, and hearing their stories. You are still fairly young, but someday you will be like one of them, one who can tell us about the amazing 60s and how we moved past the Bush years into a bold sustainable future. That's something real to look forward to!!! :)

Peace.

[tuvor]

6. Man, you're practically ANCIENT.

I barely remember Watergate, y'old fart.

;)

:toast:

[Manifestor_of_Light]

7. Cheers to you!!

:toast:

I'm a month older than you. As my father said near the end of his long life:

"I don't believe it, but it's true". :D

[Greyhound]

8. Happy B-Day! What a long strange trip it's been.

I'll bet you are older than you ever thought you'd be, but feel younger than you have any right to.
:toast::party::toast:

[Iwillnevergiveup]

9. Hey, me too!

April 28, a very good day. My oldest son shares my birthday. Unfortunately, so does Saddam Hussein. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!:toast:

[Dammit Ann]

10. "I am too young to feel this old"

Kings of Leon. "Cold Desert"
(listen to it)

Happy Birthday! Here's to many more bottles of tequila in your future...










:toast:

[Kablooie]

11. You forgot color TV, Fizzies, Flavr straws and Bosco.

[bobburgster]

12. Hell, rounding the curve on 55....

You're still a youngun! Happy Birthday to you! Amazing what those memory jags bring back when you have the time to reminisce.
We have seen a lot!

[LaurenG]

13. Happy Birthday givemebackmycountry

:party:

[coyotespaw]

14. I knew I was drinking for a good reason tonight...

Happy Birthday


:toast:

[SeeHopeWin]

15. Happy Birthday :)

[KharmaTrain]

16. Life Is Short...Make Every Moment Matter...

I'm just a "spring chicken" at 53...and seen all you have. Seems like it was just 1978 or 1986 or 1997. We've fufilled the Chinese proverb of "living in interesting times"...great music, a world of technical wonders and a greater understanding of the world around us than in any time in man's history.

I've also seen the worst of people...Nixon, Raygun and the last 8 years...but after 30 years of watching this country slide into the lies and deceptions of the rushpublicans, I am now seeing a far better picture than in any time of my life. President Obama's election galvanized an electorate like I had never seen in my years and I see better times ahead.

Yes, never has the world been "scarier"...but also one of wonder. The neat thing about being our age is that we're old enough to know better and young enough to keep going for more. Remember, one never gets older...just more experienced.

Happy Birthday

:toast:

[pleah]

17. Happy birthday!

:party: :toast: :woohoo:

[HamdenRice]

18. $3 radio? Mine were free. They "fell off the boat" where my longshoreman uncle picked them up.

Remember when thousands of men worked the Brooklyn docks? Remember how much cargo "fell" off the boats?

:rofl:

Happy birthday from a fellow "outer borough" person who has similar memories!

[a kennedy]

19. Congrats.....

and you're a better man for it too.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY :hug: :fistbump: :headbang: :yourock: :woohoo: :applause:

[Vinca]

20. Happy Birthday! I remember when you were born.

My book of choice at the time involved Dick, Jane and Spot.

[sellitman]

21. You forgot Spinner & Paddlefoot!

How about "Super Car"?

Edited to say Happy Birthday you old fart. I'm very, very close behind.

[Enthusiast]

22. Happy Birthday! nt

[bpcmxr]

23. Happy Birthday! :)

:toast:

[mrbarber]

24. Nothing more awesome..

Than someone who has seen it and lived it and survived to tell the tale.

I only hope when I reach 54 that I can be wise, grizzled and happy. But an emphasis on the grizzled.

Here's to you!

[malaise]

25. Happy Birthday

:D

[underpants]

26. Happy Birthday

:party:

[raccoon]

27. You're about the age of my younger sib. Happy Birthday! nt

[Lemonwurst]

28. Mine too, today

Your brief post sped me me through a lifetime of memories - I turned 50 today.

I also remember (most of) those world-changing events, but our four years difference may have well been a generation. In general, my peers and I became young adults with a near-disdain for the ideals of the late 60's youth movement.

In retrospect, I consider that collectively selfish attitude as an initial victory by the earliest vestiges of corporate-controlled media - which, by the late 70's, had successfully directed our country's focus away from the 60's advancements in rights, environmental awareness, anti-war sentiments (and so on). Yes, the poor economy was on everyone's mind in 1977, but so was disco, fashion jeans and many other forms of shallow, ignorant self-aggrandizement. A vigorous left-leaning movement was simply choked out by shiny objects dangled in front of those who should have perpetuated it. It took me more than 10 years for me to see it that way, I'm afraid.

Anyway, thanks for your post. I really do hope that we are once again witnessing a significant shift in America's mindset - of course different from back then, but still hopeful, and finally in the right direction.

[spanone]

29. happy birthday

[barbtries]

30. happy birthday

i'll be 54 in August. so it goes.

[handmade34]

31. Happy Birthday!!!!!!!

[live love laugh]

32. Happy solar return and may you have many many more! nt

[benld74]

33. YA got 1 year on me pops. Congrats and Salute!

[niyad]

34. it's my birthday, too, will have a drink in your honour, my young friend.

[ProfessorGAC]

35. Happy Happy

And nice post!
GAC