Pearl Jam is screaming out of my speakers as I contemplate the reality that today, I’ve been on this big blue marble for half a century. It is only a grain of sand in the universe, but for this New Hampshire kid, it is pretty damn amazing. December always finds me overly reflective. Work winds down, holiday music plays everywhere, and my birthday arrives. I’ve been worried about this December, but the reality is that I’m good with turning fifty. Much better than I was when I turned forty . Laura hates me saying this, but ten years ago, my mortality worried me. Would she and the kids be ok? Did I have more ahead or behind me? There is a strange comfort in realizing that when you are gone, you no longer know. But I know my family will be okay because while they are still figuring things out, they are old enough and strong enough to get through anything. These last ten years went differently than planned. Several significant starts and stops. Epic losses and gains. A global pandemic.…