ROGER SIMON: 82? … Be Grateful to God, Roger!

Anyone who makes it into their eighties has a lot for which to be grateful.

My father, a physician, died at 70 from an aneurysm while sitting in his car about to see a patient in jeopardy. He never made it out of the garage.

I’m still here, twelve years older than that, playing tennis*, doing imperfect pushups, and, more importantly, still writing, this Substack and even a new novel that I hope to be the first of a series.

Most importantly, I have been married to a wonderful woman for over thirty years.

Man, do I have a lot to be grateful for!

And when I read about Dennis Prager’s incredible courage, his ability to write a new book after being paralyzed from a horrific accident, I am humbled. Dennis, who has been kind to my work on several occasions, was the first to seriously pique my interest in exploring my religion as an adult. I attended his High Holy Day services in Los Angeles.

Nevertheless, I didn’t pray much at all until the last few years. I wasn’t anti-religious. It just wasn’t central in my life.

This has changed. You could say that’s what being 82 will do to you, but my increasing interest comes from more than that.

* I’m glad Roger is eschewing Pickleball; it’s rapidly becoming an outlaw sport in America.