At some point, you realize that there are not too many pro athletes who are older than you are. It usually happens sooner in the NBA, and then the NFL (unless you count kickers and punters, some of whom hung around well into their grandfatherly years)...and eventually, even baseball. Such is the case these days, where I think there are only a handful of MLB players who are not younger than I am (let's hear it for Jamie Moyer, who is 46). I guess I could always become a bigger PGA fan, since Kenny Perry is playing the best golf of his life as he approahes 50...but I was limiting this discussion to real athletes. Forget about the depressing sports where you reach your peak before you finish grade school (like gymnastics), or where you are on a downward slide by 27 (say it ain't so, Roger Federer). All of this can make you feel a little bit older. And then...you think about the aging rock and rollers. The ones who are still alive can "compete" well beyond an athlete's prime years. Billy & Elton are getting together again this summer...and each can put on a high-intensity show for a couple hours straight. Maybe they couldn't if they were subject to the same drug testing as pro athletes, but let's remain optimistic. I think of all this because we went to see Fleetwood Mac on Saturday night at the Mohegan Sun. By the way, it really is a nice place to see a concert. Small enough that all seats are pretty good. I guess age all depends on how you look at things. Personally, I thought Stevie Nicks looked pretty good for 60, while Jen thought she had aged considerablly since the last time she saw them in concert. Mick Fleetwood and John Mcvie must be pushing social security age, and no one in the place was having more fun than Mick on the drums. I must admit that while I was never a huge fan (always preferred more of a mellow, acoustic solo artist, like JT or Jim Croce or Harry Chapin), I was incredibly impressed by the guitar work of Lindsey Buckingham. For a guy almost 60 as well, he was as skilled as anyone I have seen on guitar...and probably never received the credit he was due. All of which made me feel that any impending birthday should be seen not as another year that I can't be a pro athlete, but rather, as a reminder that I have plenty of good years left to take the "Button Factory" and other classic songs on the road for a world tour. Just at much smaller venues.
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