Insurance companies kick off 65th birthday celebration

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September 14, 2012

Insurance companies kick off 65th birthday celebration

By Jim Hardin Herald-Banner Staff The Zope Gazette Fri Sep 14, 2012, 03:02 PM CDT

ROCKWALL — I’ve been receiving birthday messages since July — letters, cards, telephone calls and packages. I don’t believe these are gift packages. Actually, I don’t know what’s inside because I haven’t opened them.

A lot of people are getting a very early jump on my birthday celebration. The big day isn’t until sometime in December.

I wish I could tell you that all the excitement about my birthday is sparked by love, honor and respect. It‘s not. They don’t even know me.

All they know about me is that I will turn 65 in December. I will become eligible for Medicare. These birthday well wishers want to sell me a Medicare insurance supplement.

I’m excited about one card that I received a few weeks ago — my very own red, white and blue Medicare card. Woo and hoo. I never thought I would be so happy to have one of those senior-type birthdays.

Speaking of birthdays, the 65th is one of those milestones. That ranks up there with 16, 18 and 21. I guess 30 comes next, then at 10 year increments until the 60th year.

What happens after 65? That’s when every birthday becomes a milestone birthday. That’s where I am. Every year, the most important birthday will be my next one.

My 60th was a big birthday for me, possibly my biggest ever. My wife threw a party for me and people actually came to help me celebrate.

They didn’t get to just eat cake and drink punch. They also got to watch a video of me running 10 miles. Fortunately for all of us, we didn’t have to watch me run the entire 10 miles. A friend shot video of me at each mile.

Son Isaac went the first mile with me on this run from Diana to Longview. He was my first running partner. Wife Becky went the last mile with me because in life, we’re going to finish this race together.

I made a big deal about turning 60 and running 10 miles for the very first time. Since then, I’ve run nine half marathons (13.1 miles) and will run my very first full marathon (that’s right, 26.2 miles) just a few days shy of my 65th.

I don’t plan to set any speed records, but I will guarantee you one thing. I’m not slowing down. As time marches on, I plan to keep pace.

And I will be quoting the Hardin family slogan as I go — “The best is yet to come.”

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Insurance companies kick off 65th birthday celebration

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