I've met a few octogenarians who are still out cruising. I admire them and treasure their stories. I don't expect to be one of them. The odds are against it.

That leaves me 12 more years, if 80 is the limit I imagine it to be. What should I do with those 12 years? Should I try to reach all those harbors I've never seen? I'd never get to them all. Or should I spend my time in those favored, familiar harbors that always feel like one of my many home towns?

Or is it better to make no plans at all, to let each day take shape however it wants? That's how I felt when there was no clock ticking away the time that remained. I guess that's my choice still. Why be governed by a clock or a calendar?

Any thoughts on this?