100 Years old or shall I say 100 Years young.

This past week we will celebrated a birthday here for one of the residents in our village. He has celebrated his birthday 100 times. Yikes, I have never attended a special birthday celebration like this before, nor do I even know anyone that old.

Bill R. is special. Once a month, we have a pot luck dinner on our patio and he rarely misses attending. With a broad smile and arriving right on time, he reaches into his pocket and always has the right amount to pay for his share.

Every day, with a box of his favourite cookies tucked under his arm, he drives over to the clubhouse on his golf cart to meet his buddies for morning coffee. There are only less than a handful left of these buddies who can still get out to shoot the ‘’s…it’’ and solve all of life’s problems from the comfort of the clubhouse dining room for the morning coffee klatch.

In March of last year, we were saddened to learn he had taken a tumble on a scatter mat in his condo and had broken his hip. Off he goes in the ambulance, with his neighbour in tow, all the time brooding with Judy. “This is not going to work out for me. I don’t have time for this, I wonder how long I will have to stay?”

The orthopedic surgeon has arrived to review Bill’s injury. “Well, Mr. R., you may be facing the rest of your life in a wheelchair, as to be frank, I have never operated on anyone this old before.”

And Bill’s reply, “Well Doc, you had better get this fixed as I plan to get back on the golf course in the Fall, my other teammates are counting on me to play with them”. 

And Bill’s second reply, “and Doc, if I may add, the ladies in my golf village are planning my 100^th Birthday party and I want to be there, our village ladies are the best cooks anywhere”.

We have been here now since November and see Bill often riding around on his golf cart, driving his car, yes he still drives to CVS pharmacy just 2 blocks away, all the while sporting his favourite golf hat that says:

 01-01-2017  

I am 100 years old

Oh, how I envy this man,  Bill R.  Happy 100^th Birthday. We are all very proud to know and love you. “Cheers”.   Here’s hoping the ladies of the village lived up to your expectations for your special party.