05/12/2026
I did something yesterday.
A most wonderful thing.
Something I hope I never forget.
The Journey To 90 was born in July of 2024. It began with a thought that led to a decision…which created actions that changed my life.
Not overnight.
Not through shortcuts.
Not through wishful thinking.
It happened day by day through intentional living. Through an unwavering determination to push back against decline, metabolic disease, weakness, and the quiet drift that steals so many people’s futures one compromise at a time.
Every step of it has been documented throughout my posts.
Then came the knee replacement.
People say, “You know when it’s time.”
The pain gets worse.
The limitations grow louder.
The things you love become harder to do.
So I said yes.
Yes to surgery.
Yes to recovery.
Yes to sawing out the old knee and hammering in a new one.
And afterward, I made another choice…
I would not merely endure recovery.
I would participate in it.
I had a vision of better days ahead, and that vision pushed me to do the work necessary to heal, strengthen, rebuild, and move forward.
Now I write often about my biking adventures. It feels so good to ride like this again. Just this past Saturday I completed 2 of the 10 charity rides I am doing this year.
But yesterday…
Yesterday was different.
Yesterday I did something I could not have done before.
I practiced softball with my six-year-old granddaughter for nearly three hours.
We played for about two hours, stopped for dinner, and afterward she looked at me and asked…
“Can we play some more softball, Pawpaw?”
And this time…
I could.
So we did.
Early last year, this would not have been possible.
That is why I say decline is often optional. In many cases, it is simply the direction we drift when we stop fighting for ourselves. And if we stay there too long, that drift eventually becomes our future.
My friends, if I can do this, you can too.
I simply had a thought…
made a decision…
moved into action…
and the results followed.
If you have not yet buried your flag in the ground and started your own journey…consider the possibilities.
Stronger Than Yesterday.
Day by day.
By choice.
One of my greatest visions was being able to truly do things with my grandkids again.
Not just watch.
Not just sit nearby.
But fully participate.
That vision is no longer a vision.
Now it is reality.
At one point, my granddaughter and I stood about 15 feet apart and simply played catch with a softball.
She has always had an incredible arm. Even as a tiny child she amazed me. Years ago we would sit close together tossing soft balls and bean bags back and forth. Even then she naturally threw overhand with remarkable accuracy.
Yesterday, we played catch with a real softball.
She never dropped the ball once. And threw it right at my glove. Over and over.
And the beautiful thing was this…
We hardly said a word.
We were both focused. Intentional. Present.
I could see the concentration on her face. The effort. The joy.
It was beautiful beyond words.
We simply played catch together for a long time.
What an unbelievable blessing this journey has become.
And I hope with all my heart…
that I never forget that moment.
