Someday is This Summer: A Wake-Up Call at 52

As WordPress continues to recycle old prompts, I pulled another prompt from The Coffee Monsterz Co to respond to today

What is a wake-up call you had recently?

I don’t know if this is a “wake-up call” in the traditional sense, but it’s certainly something that made me take notice today.

The Math of Mortality

I heard the news that actor Patrick Muldoon passed away Sunday at age 57. I wasn’t a die-hard fan, but I recognize the face. I remember him as the manager at The Max who Kelly dated when she briefly cheated on Zack on Saved by the Bell. But I’m not thinking about his filmography today; I’m thinking about that number: 57.

Reports say it was a sudden heart attack. It’s no secret that in the U.S., heart disease is a leading killer of men. I have a history of it in my family, along with cancer. I joke with my brother, Guillaume, that we have a 67% chance of knowing exactly what’s going to get us when our time comes.

Ironically, I picked “67%” because it sounded better than 66.6%, but I realized after typing it that my father died at 67. It’s a number that hangs over the family timeline like a destination on a map.

I just turned 52. Guillaume turns 56 in less than a week. We are not getting any younger.

Just Getting Started at 52

Lately, I’ve been saying “the rebuild never ends.” I used to think of it as a tagline, but I’ve realized this blog isn’t just a project—it’s the story of my life. It doesn’t end until I do. And even though the “dye is cast” on a lot of life’s big milestones—the house, the career, the kids—I feel like I’m just getting started on the most important part: my own happiness.

Getting started at 52 is different than 22. At 22, you’re chasing things to fill a life. At 52, you’re chasing the things that validate it.

Making “Someday” This Summer

That’s why the I-95 baseball road trip has to happen this summer. A year ago, I would have told you it was just about crossing stadiums off a list. Now? It’s about the feeling of being the guy who actually did it. It’s about refusing to let “someday” be the word that defines my fifties.

I’m moving from “I’ll get around to it” to “I’m doing it now.” Because 57 is a lot closer than it used to be.

Rebuilding a life takes grit, consistency, and a lot of ‘Option C’ thinking. Whether I’m 900 days into a streak or reflecting on the decade of posts that led me here, the mission remains the same. New to the blog? Start your journey here to see the blueprint behind the rebuild.

Today’s post is inspired by the WordPress Daily Prompt. While I’ve taken the topic in my own direction for the Road to 1,000 Days, you can find more responses to today’s prompt HERE .

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AI art created with Google Gemini

The article “Someday is This Summer: A Wake-Up Call at 52” first appeared on Rebuilding Rob.