HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME - JULY 13, 2025

July 13, 2025
Happy Birthday To Me
"If I'd been out 'til quarter to three
Would you lock the door?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me
When I'm 64?" - The Beatles

I recall many years of my misspent youth, when it was well past quarter to three when I would be winding my way back home. I laugh now, thinking that I believed if I wasn't out chasing and tasting life all night long, almost every night, that I was missing out on life. Little did I know, although I was told by those much older and wiser than I that I was not spending my time wisely. But most of us never listened, did we? I may pay for a lot of it on the back end, but oh, the countless memories I have of a long, colorful life. Life is not meant to be experienced on the sidelines, and I am not guilty of doing so. Although I would be remiss if I did not confess that I have racked up a very long list of regrets, many of which cost me a river of tears, and there is a long list of things I would do differently if I could go back. But as Frankie said, "That's life."

On the flip side, I have a lifetime of more memories, smiles, laughs, love, music, friendships, and experiences than I feel I deserve to have, and could ever put in a book. And yes, I still get asked when I am going to write a book. Hell, I had a small film company that wanted to do a movie about my life. I am not quite there yet, and although I have a tendency to see the glass as half empty, I do know better, and I try to remind myself of that every day. I am incredibly grateful to have the life that I have, and I am blessed in more ways than I can count, and again, feel I deserve.

Unless we are coming home from an A1A tour or a late-night gig, the days of me wandering home after a quarter till three are long gone, and these days, how I feel in the morning is a crapshoot. Some days my body feels like it is 30, and some days it feels every ounce of 64. But inside, as my parents and grandparents always told me, I remain and feel like the wide-eyed young boy I've always been, with many of the same dreams I always had, but not all of them. I do believe the soul never ages, it only grows wiser, or regresses. It all depends on your attitude and how and what you feed it. The body, on the other hand, does age, but you do have a lot of control over how well you age. Eat right and well. Stay healthy. Move. Exercise every day. Drink a ton of water. All of that is true, but you have to do it.

I never dreamed I would live this long. I didn't, and in the days of my youth, I never thought I wanted to. But sitting here this morning on my first day of my 64th year, I was wrong. I still have so much music I need to make, write, record, and perform, and so many dreams left to see and live, not only mine, but also for my family and those I love. All of this still keeps me up at night. Yes, I still do not sleep, like my friend Gino, I still walk the night, and feel certain I always will, but I have come to terms with that.

As my 65th year approaches, I am asked about retirement by many. On long weary rides home from the road, at times I contemplate it, but in the light of day, I know that as a musician, I am blessed (or cursed) with the option of never having to retire, and as long as I can play music I do not plan too, although I am sure it will look different as years pass.

And more years have passed than are left, and a lot of my friends are leaving me. It is unsettling and sad, but again, as Frankie said, 'That's Life.' As for me, I would much rather die onstage, or directly after a successful show, than in a hospital bed or at home in a room filled with machines keeping me alive. But with any luck, that is at least two or more decades away.

If you have read this far, I apologize for being long-winded. Thank you for whatever part you play or have played in my life. No matter how they did, I am glad our paths have crossed. It's 6:20 am, and I need to get moving. I'm going to make the most of my 64th Birthday today as well as the rest of the year. I have a lot of plans to dig into. Oh, and in case you were wondering, doing the garden and digging the weeds are not part of those plans.

With much love and gratitude to all who have blessed my life and my heart,
Jeff
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"Doing the garden, digging the weeds
Who could ask for more?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me
When I'm 64?" - The Beatles