The chance to be a bit philosophical is, in and of itself, challenging. Mary and I have a great marriage. We are each other’s best friends. We share everything. At ages 78 plus and 73-plus–for 23 years plus–we’ve enthusiastically embraced life, opportunity, adversity, and success. We believe Omaha is a special place that has afforded not only our families, but so many people before us, a place for harmony, success, and fun (as it will for people in the future).

Good health underpins a positive perspective. Eight hours of sleep every night, eight glasses of water every day, and laughing a lot are the three keys to our life together. There is no substitute for companionship. It is valuable glue to relationships that are long-lasting. Working hard and playing hard are both fun–and life needs to be fun.

Be active and engaged. Every person I have ever met has had something special they could contribute to bettering their life, the lives of their family members and friends, their colleagues, our city, our state, and our great nation.

Mary has had a long, fulfilling history of community engagement–from Junior League to Joslyn Art Museum to Children’s Hospital–and great professional careers of teaching public school and real estate.

My good fortune has been to be a successful attorney and real estate investor, and to have been privileged to have been elected to public service as a member of the United States Congress, mayor for our city, and as a regent for the University of Nebraska. I have also had many participation and leadership opportunities, serving on boards for Boy Scouts of America, The Salvation Army, and CHI Health. Other organizations I have had the pleasure of working with include Rotary, Optimists, Scottish Rite Masons, American Legion, and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Helping to raise needed funds for these worthy organizations that add strength and stability to our community has been rewarding.

Can anyone imagine Omaha without the CHI Health Center, our living room for conventions, sports, and concerts? Or the Holiday Lights traditions and the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District trails and lakes? The list of developments and achievements goes on.

All of this work has been possible thanks to the type of community efforts that make this such a great place to be. We are blessed to have many true friends.

See the good and promote it–reject the negative and be willing to stand publicly against it.

The best way to learn is to listen. Respect all differences. Tolerance and patience are prized virtues. The opposite is counterproductive and makes for an unhappy life.

Age indeed is just a number.

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This article was printed in the 60Plus section of the January/February 2020 issue of Omaha Magazine.