My wife is retiring at the end of the month. I have effectively been retired from a ‘real’ job since 1999. I still work lots of hours on music software but, at home in my pajamas, is not a ‘real’ job. My wife and I plan to travel and continue to enjoy life. My kids are doing fantastic. Life is very, very good. This upcoming phase in life is something I never thought I would have or even deserved but seems to be a strange confluence of Heraclitus’ river that can never be stepped in twice (or even once). I would never think that due to anything special about me, I ‘deserved’ this. I am a bit taken back by those (you know whom I mean) that would beat their political chests over success. I ascribe to the position that if you find success in life you need to be lucky and grateful and remember concretely those that are the brunt end of bourgeoisie politics. Capitalism is great when it works but those that it works for need to make it easier for it to work for others not harder. This political philosophy, I gratefully attribute to my mentor Emmanuel Levinas, guides my politics and ethics. Pain and struggle never go away but it can deepen the soul and become part of a montage of existence wherein we dwell.