24 and there's so much more

"Old Man look at my life, 24 and there's so much more."
Written by Neil Young at 24 years old (talking to the caretaker - the "Old Man" - of his ranch) bemoaning his confused lot in life, shy and uncomfortable with relationships (especially with women) and uncertain if he will be able to live out the favored life that appears to be laid before him. Of course he had no way of knowing how fortunate (despite some avoidable and unavoidable hardships along the way) his life would eventually become.

"4 and 20 years ago I come into this life. Son of a woman and a man who lived in strife, he was tired of being poor."
Written by Stephan Stills at 24 years old, bemoaning his confused lot in life (he keeps switching from 1st person to 3rd person story-telling throughout the song). Of course he had no way of knowing how fortunate (despite some avoidable and unavoidable hardships along the way) his life would eventually become.

"24"
the TV show detailing the intense and suspenseful (and seriously hard to believe) events that unfold in a 24 hour period, leading you to believe that at the end of 24 hours the story is complete. Of course the show has run for many seasons, meaning that of course the story never ends - it just transforms and expands and finds new angles.

At 24 years old I felt very much like Mr. Young and Mr. Stills (without the Rock Star fame and fortune and drugs and groupies). But I had the good fortune at 24 to meet the Hanlon Family and in particular, Susan Hanlon. Of course I had no way of knowing how fortunate (despite some avoidable and unavoidable hardships along the way) my life would eventually become, but very fortunate it's been. Susan was 8 years younger than me - 16 when we met, 18 when we dated, 20 when we married on August 27th 1983.
And now it's August 27th 2007 - and I'm the old man looking at my own life after 24 years of marriage and there's so much more (yet to come). This show has had it's share of intense and suspenseful (and seriously hard to believe) events unfold in a 24 year period, possibly leading you to expect that the story must be just about complete. Of course the story never ends - it just transforms and expands and finds new angles. Having already lived through the many dramatic and humerous and suspenseful and romantic and unlikely and unbelievable "drama/sitcom" events of our life, I can only imagine and can't wait to see what the next 24 years will have to offer. I'll be 76 years old at that point, with grandchildren (Mary will be 47 and Joe will be 34 so very possibly no Great-Grand kids yet), and I fully plan to still have my much younger "Trophy Wife" (remember, Sue is 8 years younger than me - and she will make sure you never forget- so she'll only be in her sixties) who will still be pushing me to keep up. I'll still be insisting that I'm the one leading the way and pulling her along in my wake (maybe not - at 76yrs old "Wake" is not a word you want to use much). I plan on being much more gracious about allowing Scott and Margo and Paula to express their amazement and admiration over the depth of our love. I suppose I will still have moments when I frustrate and infuriate Susan, and then she will get annoyed at herself because she still gets that school-girl-in-love feeling of excitement in her stomach as she waits for me to come home. I will still be getting annoyed at her as she wonders when that baby urge will go away. I hope she's still eagerly learning new things. I hope I'm still finger-picking Helplessy Hoping on my 1955 Martin (no - I should hope for a 2015 Martin bought for me by my kids for a 60th birthday present). I hope I'm still physically fit enough for Sue to be justifyably mad at me for not dancing with her enough at our anniversay party. I hope that over the next 24 years I will finally figure out what the right thing to say is and when to say it. If not, I hope I still remember the words to Jim Croce's "I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song" - I promise you she'll still remember the first time I sang it to her (and where we were sitting and what color shirt I was wearing - Some things will never change).

Through the years as the fire starts to mellow,
burning lines in the book of our lives
Though the binding cracks and the pages start to yellow
I'll be in love with you
(Longer by Dan Fogelberg)