I’m sitting on my balcony on the seventh floor of my condo building. It’s 11 p.m. and I gaze out over the Bahia de Banderas to old town Puerto Vallarta as a solid KGB-style light show goes off. I’m not privy to the music but I am treated to15 minutes of spectacular sky art.Today I was at my part time office in Punta de Mita, which sits exactly 75 steps from the water’s edge depending upon the tide. It is also right at the entrance of the breezeway to the beach through the El Coral cafe. I have a great view of just plain people, rich, poor, old, young, black, white, brown, yellow, coming and going down to the water, which is getting warm again.
The gentle water is in the 70s and soon will hit the 80-degree mark. Along with air temperatures in the 80s, blue skies, white sand and turquoise water; there are plenty of little waves for surfers and stand up paddle surfers. It stays glassy pretty much all day long. Back in January there were a lot of Canadians here.
Now that it is spring break season it is quiet. In years past in March and April the wait times for restaurants were horrendous and a spot on a favorite beach was hard to come by. The mainstream press and the state department have succeeded in doing the job they set out to do, make Mexico out to be a place where you think you take your life in your hands.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The murder rate for visitors to the United States makes Mexico look like heaven on steroids but you don’t hear about that. Usually just State Department half- truths, and half-truths are lies.
Our parents retired living on their Social Security checks with all the medical assistance they needed up to their last days.
Today, if you are 72 or older you get to know your pharmacist well. Apparently we baby boomers better stay healthy and then drop quickly. Insurance is horrendous and getting government care will be a disaster.
I’ll pay my way as I go and save that $650 per month and the $7,500 deductible I was donating to Blue Shield. I saw my doc about my knee recently. It cost me $45. A major illness would wipe us out no matter how much you have put away or how much insurance you have. My friend Char lost her dad this last week. It was a sudden and massive heart attack.
Until then, he was healthy as an ox and he was doing what he enjoyed, hiking with his kids. He was still in his 70s. Being in my early 60s tells me the clock is ticking faster, but I realize I better take advantage of my ability to enjoy life. You should too before that clock suddenly stops.
Well, back to the beach. I’ll be home in three weeks. Watch my Good Friday column. I’ll be announcing our new contest winners. Until then baby boomers, may peace and love be with you.
Joe Moris may be contacted at (760) 500-6755 or by email at [email protected].
