When people see me lounging here or there, a glass of wine always within my reach, they cannot suppress a cry of envy. “Aren’t you the luckiest guy around?!” one of them quips as he walks by at a clip. “Eh,” another one moans and shakes his head in disbelief, “if only I could ever afford to be like you!” Except for my age, they would gladly change places with me without further thought. Which is just another incentive to hang around a while longer. Soon enough my age will be perfectly enviable, as well.

Addendum (October 5, 2017)

Years keep piling up, and so do comments about my lucky ways. Indeed, few people walk past me nowadays without a cry of envy. Apparently, everyone wishes to be in my shoes. Which is why I have developed a simple defense strategy that rarely fails me. “What can I do?” I raise my arms high and look towards the sky. “Someone’s got to provide an example for everyone else to follow!” More often than not, these earnest words make people giggle. I can only hope that they will take them seriously enough, though. Lounging here or there, a glass of wine always within one’s reach, is on offer to all. All that needs to be done is to step out of the rat race for good. Returning to my age, it is becoming ever more enviable by the day, as well. Nobody I talk to can believe how old I actually happen to be!