An Opinion On Perspective

A look forward and backward at 60 years old

By Ron Ciancutti

I came into the world when my dad was 30 years old. I was born at the very end of the year (December 27), in 1960, which meant, at every 10-year mark, I could reflect upon an entire decade comparatively. I took careful consideration of my dad, who was 40 when I was 10, 50 when I was 20, etc. And, of course, as the new year would soon arrive, I had even more reason to assess the whole dynamic because I was always one to study annual patterns and similarities. And we all know that young men tend to measure their life progress against the guy we’d been listening to since day one.

Photo: © Can Stock Photo - soupstock

I was already a sarcastic comedian wannabe at 10, and I recall my dad’s 40th birthday included a routine I performed as an aging man for the family. I performed a big “comb over” to hide my baldness, tucking my weight behind a big belt, and wearing my pants at chest level. Thirty years later, I was combing my own hair back (that covered a spreading bald spot), sucking my gut in every time I passed a mirror, and finding I often nodded as if I understood when I didn’t quite hear all of what my boss was saying. Since Dad had passed by the time I was 34, my extended life study didn’t go much further than his 60th birthday.

And yes, that’s where I stand at this moment in my life. I turned 60 at the end of 2020. I have a short list of things to do because of lessons learned from my father:

• Seeing the doctor regularly

• Taking vitamins and necessary medications

• Working to stay physically active

• Retiring early so work was not the biggest thing I accomplished in my life.

• Working to ensure I am not only the father, husband, grandfather, brother, and son others expect me to be but the one I expect myself to be

• Studying and appreciating my faith and remaining active in the church, playing drums on the Worship Team every Sunday

• Trying very hard to keep my partner of 32 years happy and interested in me. 

Photos: Courtesy of Ron Ciancutti

Now, are these goals a bit more challenging in a year when staying home is typically the highlight of the day? You bet, but I’m gonna die trying, my friends, because I had a ton of realization thrown my way in a tempestuous 2020. As you’ve heard me say a million times, the truth always leans heavily on perspective. Note the two photos below, taken the same day, before and after a haircut and beard trim.

The early-morning shot shows many more laugh lines and wrinkles, as well as more gray in my beard. The second shot was later in the day; that early-morning puffiness is gone, and the closer trim of my hair eliminated a lot of white and gray. Same day, same guy—notable difference.

Shifting Topics

If different interpretations are possible with simple photos, why not a point-of-view? 

• Should we give COVID-19 injections to the elderly to keep them safe because they are at higher risk, or should we give the vaccine to children because they are more active in the population and have many more contacts?

• Should we isolate children and give them the advantage of home schooling, or should we make sure they have all the social skills necessary to conduct themselves in the future, and therefore send them to school to associate with others?

• Should we prepare a great store of food and supplies in case of an energy crisis or sudden loss of power, or should we just gamble that things will never go wrong?

In applying the above questions to this new perspective based on 2020 challenges, note there is a common thread, that is, seeking the simple elements of decency and doing the right thing. The fact is, though, it doesn’t have to be one over the other, old vs. young, home learning vs. in-school learning, being safe or unsafe; it’s the choice in the middle that makes common sense. We’ve learned we can serve the elderly without depriving the young, sending some children to school while keeping those at greater risk at home, and finally putting a little food and supplies in storage to prepare for anything, from a challenging winter to an isolating shutdown.

So, let’s advance the thinking once again. Are we going to resolve this pandemic as world leaders, or are we only going to serve American citizens? Are we going to do a good thing or a great thing? Well, we’ve already shown our true colors, and the disease and all the fear it wrought has begun to turn the corner and look relatively manageable. At the forefront is good-old American ethics and leadership. We’ve made accommodations and adjustments, and the spirit has forged new inroads. Where relations were strained, we found ways to persevere. Where politics got in the way, we broke through walls and kept moving forward. So now I can look back at the last decade, and especially the year I turned 60, and reflect in a way I never thought possible—in full consideration of everyone.

The lesson is simple. Do the best you can while listening to every concern, and make decisions to benefit the greatest number when restricted, or everyone when possible; do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That was the way my father bent the tree and so shall it grow. Full consideration was seen as critical since the beginning of time and for good reason.

But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.  Luke 2:19

Ron Ciancutti worked in the parks and recreation industry since he was 16 years old, covering everything from maintenance, operations, engineering, surveying, park management, design, planning, recreation, and finance. He is now retired. He holds a B.S. in Business from Bowling Green State University and an M.B.A. from Baldwin Wallace University. He is not on Facebook, but he can be reached at ron@northstarpubs.com.