Fifty years ago was a pivotal year for me. It was the start of my senior year in high school and deciding how I wanted to get through life – what college to apply to, what to major in, where I would like to live, etc.

It was September 1974 and I expected to have it all figured out nine months hence. My English teacher, Ms. Arlene Pizzi – a tiny woman with a big heart – told me I should go with my chosen profession, to be a newspaper reporter, as she thought I had some writing talent. My dream was to write for Sports Illustrated someday – a dream that started my freshman year.

The Vietnam War was still going on and my older brother had avoided getting drafted to fight the war so I figured I was not going to be drafted either. Our president had resigned a month earlier after two years hearing about the Watergate scandal so we enjoyed watching “Happy Days” on TV – talk about a pivot!

Speed ahead to September 2024. It’s a pivotal year for the country again. Although our president hasn’t resigned, he is basically a lame duck as we wait to choose a new president – with a former president seeking the office again against the current vice president who was thrust into the election process by her party. We have also experienced tumultuous times – and years of hearings like Watergate – since the former president refused to accept he lost the 2020 election, him being charged with several crimes, etc.

Soon to be 68, I face another pivotal year regarding my future. I have been asked by several people for a couple of years now when I am thinking of retiring. Yes, I have been thinking about it – I won’t lie – but the pivot is hard to do – not as easy as teaching my former basketball players the use of a pivot foot on the court.

As with my future dreams – never made it to being an SI reporter – we’ll see what develops in the coming months. Meanwhile, I did decide to become a newspaper reporter, attended the University of Maine where I received great instruction from the journalism professors, and I was lucky enough have this job in my hometown for the past 37-plus years.