One Thing I Did Right

I will never be elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

I will never hit a home run in a World Series game.

I will never win an Oscar.

I will never cross the finish line at Le Mons.

I will never kiss Scarlett Johanssen.

I will never be on the cover of Time.

I will not be named as one of the “New Young Writers Making a Difference.“

I will not guest host on Saturday Night Live.

I will never have a personal audience with the Pope.

I’m not going to win any medals for my military service.

The Nobel Prize Committee isn’t looking for my telephone number.

I will never place a poem in Poetry Magazine out of Chicago.

I will never be named Lawyer of the Year by anybody.

I’m okay with all that. I’m 67 and what I’ve done in this world has pretty much been done.

I did one thing right. One.

I raised a beautiful, intelligent, honest son. I raised a man who is now raising his own children. He has a good job. He has a wonderful wife. He has two small but precocious children.

He is my greatest accomplishment.

Though I’ll miss that kiss by Scarlett–she’s married with a kid now–I can put up with all the things I won’t or didn’t do.

I did one thing right. That’s enough for me.