I made it!  Today I crossed the nine zero mark. It doesn’t feel much different than yesterday when I was 89, but it is a big day nevertheless. I was born July 16, 1920.  I lived longer than both my parents and most of my peers. There have been miraculous things happen during my life.  The more memorable ones are……

Watching the emergence of the automobile —
1920, the year I was born, Ford Motor Company sold over a million cars in the U.S. The Model T was an economical car for the average American and soon replaced the horse and buggy. I bought my first car for $37 when I was 19.  It was a used Model A Ford with running boards, a rumble seat, no windows, no top. I’ve come a long way in 90 years.  I still drive but my car of choice is a Cadillac.

Watching the emergence of the airplane —
1927, Charles A. Lindbergh (1902-1974), American aviator made the first solo, nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. By 1930, transportation by plane was fast becoming mainstream but a plane in the sky was still a rarity. My friends and I would get excited when we spied a plane.  We would stop, look and yell, “airplane, airplane!”  Building model airplanes was a favorite hobby all through school.

1929-1939, I hardly noticed the Great Depression being only a kid. But I do remember putting cardboard in my shoes because the soles had holes.

Enjoying a train ride and The World’s Fair…… I was 14.
1935, when I was a boy growing up in Pennsylvania, trains and streetcars were the most popular travel choice.  At 14, I rode the train from Greensburg, Pennsylvania to Chicago to attend the 1935 World’s Fair.  What a treat!  At the fair, I saw my first television set.

Becoming a father…… I was 22 when my first son was born. Then came a daughter, another son and another daughter, in that order spaced two years apart.

Penicillin, the first miracle drug……
The discovery of penicillin is attributed to Scottish scientist and Nobel laureate Alexander Fleming in 1928. The challenge of mass-producing this drug was daunting. On March 14, 1942, the first patient was treated for streptococcal septicemia with U.S.-made penicillin produced by Merck & Co. In 1946, I was in medical school at the University of Pittsburg; I was the first medical student to use penicillin to treat a patient in a Pittsburg hospital.

Life of a surgeon……… I was 26 when I got my medical license. I was drafted into the military. My first permanent assignment was McDill Air Force base, Tampa, Florida at the station hospital where I became chief of surgery. The most stunning save of my career was when they brought in a pilot who had been practicing a tactical approach on the runway. His right wing dropped, stuck the ground and the plane literally disintegrated as it slowed to a stop over a mile of runway leaving only the pilot strapped in his bucket seat. When they brought him into surgery there was no pulse, no breath, very faint heartbeat but miraculously he survived. Surgery lasted 12 hours. After I left the service, I practiced 20 years in northern California before switching careers and moving to Los Angeles.

Breaking the sound barrier…… I was 27.  
1947, Chuck Yeager was the first man to break the sound barrier which lead to supersonic flights.

My first plane ride……. I was 30, married with kids. The entire family flew from San Francisco to Los Angeles for summer vacation.  

Building a bomb shelter………… I was 36.
The cold war was in full swing during my thirties. Fear of communism taking over America and ending our freedom was a real threat. Those who had back yards were preparing for the worst with their bomb shelters.

Assassination of my president….  I was 43.
1963, November 22, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States, in Dallas, Texas was all over the news. What a sad day for Americas.

Putting a man on the moon…….   I was 49.
1969,  July 20, Commander Neil Armstrong was the first man to step onto the moon. My daughter and I were listening to the moon landing on the radio. I can still hear Neil Armstrong’s historic words, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."   

Life of a psychiatrist……….. I was 54 when I started a private practice in Los Angeles. I still practice although this year I have cut back my hours. It’s what I love to do. I am being of service to my patients and it gives me a reason to get up in the morning when my body would rather lie in bed all day.

Marrying the right woman………. I was 71.  I had been married before and I had no intention of doing it again. Then, one night across the room, I saw her and I immediately knew: she was the one. Twenty years later, she is still by my side.  

Fall of Communism…… I was 71.
1989, November, the Berlin Wall came down. The borders opened.  East and West Germany were reunited as a single free nation.  Free elections ousted Communist regimes everywhere in eastern Europe. Towards the end of 1991, the Soviet Union itself dissolved into its component republics. With stunning speed, the Iron Curtain was lifted and the Cold War came to an end after 46 years.

Watching the emergence of the digital age……. I was 82 when I bought my first computer. I was 83 when I bought my first cell phone. Seems like every year a new gadget hits the marketplace. Last year, I was gifted with a digital camera. This year I received a digital video camera the size of a large cell phone. It slips right into my pocket. Amazing!

Living nine decades…… I am 90 - nine zero.  Life is grand.  I want another 20.  Who knows what miraculous things await to be discovered!

written by my sweet wife, Sylvia

Until you return, fill your days with GIGGLES, JOY, and APPRECIATION!

SylviaSilk, D.D. Director of the Institute For Balanced Living, Los Angeles,CA, USA
DoctorofDivinity,SpiritualCoach,ReconnectiveHealingPractitioner, Writer