The Best Time of My Life
it was june 15, and in two days i would be turning thirty. i was insecure about entering a new decade of my life and feared that my best years were now behind me.my daily routine included going to the gym for a workout before going to work. every morning i would see my friend nicholas at the gym. he was seventy-nine years old and in terrific1 shape. as i greeted nicholas on this particular day, he noticed i wasn't full of my usual vitality2 and asked if there was anything wrong. i told him i was feeling anxious about turning thirty. i wondered how i would look back on my life once i reached nicholas's age, so i asked him, "what was the best time of your life?"
without hesitation3, nicholas replied, "well, joe, this is my philosophical4 answer to your philosophical question:
"when i was a child in austria and everything was taken care of for me and i was nurtured5 by my parents, that was the best time of my life.
"when i was going to school and learning the things i know today, that was the best time of my life.
"when i got my first job and had responsibilities and got paid for my efforts, that was the best time of my life.
"when i met my wife and fell in love, that was the best time of my life.
"the second world war came, and my wife and i had to flee austria to save our lives. when we were together and safe on a ship bound for north america, that was the best time of my life.
"when we came to canada and started a family, that was the best time of my life.
"when i was a young father, watching my children grow up, that was the best time of my life.
and now, joe, i am seventy-nine years old. i have my health, i feel good and i am in love with my wife just as i was when we first met. this is the best time of my life."
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