A time-honored tradition

It’s that time of year when Bostonians who don’t ski set their sights on the Sunshine State.

These are some of the rituals:

Get a pedicure

Pack sandals in your carryon so you can change shoes on the plane

Pray your flight won’t be canceled due to incoming snow

Leave your winter coat in the car and dash into the terminal coatless and freezing

Sit on the plane and nervously watch the wings get de-iced

Pray this bird gets airborne

Lift off – ah

Watch dirty, grey old Boston recede from view and mind

Touchdown in the Land of the Mouse.

😎

1973
1978

Related:

Photo digitization project

Acceptance

What is one thing you would change about yourself?

One great thing about growing older is that you finally accept yourself. I know a lot of people want to lose weight and that sort of thing after 50, but for the most part, you’ve accepted who you are as a person by age fifty.

If you were a dutiful oldest daughter for too long, you should be fully over it by age 50. Even if your parents are still alive, their guilt trips should no longer hurt you. If you got raised in a repressive church, you should have escaped it by now and realized that you have agency. You are the captain of your own ship. Whatever you feel is correct. You don’t have to be nice all the time. You can say no. If you’ve been feeling anger over what’s been going on in this country since 2016, that’s fully justified. If you are angry and fearful about what’s coming next, that’s also fine. No need to apologize to anyone for anything you say or do, women especially.

So no, I’m 59 and I’m perfect. There’s nothing I would change.

I’m so perfect I could be a Disney Princess. (AI image generated by my daughter, who is also perfect.)