September 12, 2021

Q&A with Jerry (about getting older!)


Jerry and I have been talking a lot lately about getting older. (By that, I mean that our conversations routinely consist of talking about how tired we are, what hurts, and how fast time goes by.)

Since it's Jerry's birthday weekend (he's turning 41 on Tuesday) I thought it would be fun to "interview" him about getting older. He wanted to write out the answers himself rather than my asking him questions, so I just wrote a list of questions... and he answered them in his own words. Here goes...


Q. What is the biggest difference in your attitude now versus when you were 21 years old?

A. I was always worried about where I was going to end up and I had no real direction. I didn’t have a solid life plan and was living with my parents. Fast forward 11 months and I nailed a job interview that landed me a job with my current employer; the next year, I got the girl; and 11 months after that we started building our family. My worries went from living life paycheck-to-paycheck to saving for the future.

Q. Are you the person you hoped you would be at this age?

A. All I ever knew was that I wanted to be the hardworking provider for my family that my dad was for our family when I was a kid. I would like the think that I’ve come close to that but only time will tell. Life throws you some crazy pitches from time to time, and you just have to catch those and deal with them as they come.

(Katie here. I don't know why Jerry's answer made me think of this video, but I have to share it. It's really dark and hard to see, but the sound is the most important part. When the kids were little and it was time for Jerry to come home from work, I would tell the kids he was on his way and they would get really excited to watch for his car coming down the street. They'd stand at the window and wait. On this day in the video, Jerry was walking to the door and then started throwing snowballs at the window where the kids were standing. They were cracking up, and Noah's little voice is so cute!)


Q. If you could put something symbolic of your life now into a time capsule, what three items would you include?

A. 1. A family picture. Nothing is more important and we have a lot of fun together. 

2. My phone. This is only because of my music. Music is invigorating and a quick go-to if I need a pick-me-up. There’s nothing like having a good song in your head to play as your theme for the day. 

3. Something Star Wars or Marvel. As everyone knows, I’m a huge Star Wars fan. But, did you know that I’m a huge Marvel fan, too? I’ve been so invested in Star Wars that it was easy to just fall into line with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I watch the movies and shows all the time.



Q. What is your most memorable birthday?

A. When I turned 21, I was working with my dad at a local fabrication shop and he and the guys took me out to an Irish pub for my birthday during lunch. Later during the week, Katie and her roommate Sarah held a birthday party for me in their college campus apartment.

Jerry's 21st birthday - so mature! ;)


Q. If you could go back to any age, knowing all you know now, what age would you pick? And what would you do differently?

A. I would go back to high school and not worry about the social ramifications of everything. I would’ve been more outgoing. Also, I would’ve had a better idea of what I wanted to do in life. But, everyone says that…


Q. What is the hardest part about getting older?

A. The hardest part about getting older is letting go of trying to look younger. I need to get some bigger pants and bigger shirts; be more comfortable.


Q. What is the best part about getting older?

A. The best part about being older is having all sorts of life experiences to reference when problems arise. I know everything will work itself out and I can pass some of this optimism on to the kids when they have issues as well.



Well, this is a serious side of Jerry; usually he jokes around about everything! I do have to say that regarding the question about whether he is the person he hoped he'd be at this age, he absolutely is--he is a very hardworking provider and I don't ever take that for granted.

Jerry and I were basically children when we got married (I was 21 and he was 22); neither of us had a real clue about what we were going to do with our lives! Luckily, we figured it out. Getting older is not fun at all, but getting wiser is definitely worth it :)

6 comments:

  1. Love this glimpse into Jerry's mind. He's always struck me as a terrific guy and his answers in this post reaffirm those thoughts. Hope he has a fabulous birthday on Tuesday!

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  2. This is a very wise post! I should have figured Jerry was a Marvel fan as well! I'm a huge nerd for Marvel. Would love to hear Jerry's thoughts on the multiverse opening up! Happy birthday Jerry!

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    1. Oh, man! How much time do you have?

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    2. Ha! For an in depth Marvel conversation with a fellow fan, I have all day! :) My husband is normally tunes me out! Lol

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  3. I love these Jerry interviews, and especially this one since he is so sincere. Thank you for sharing him with us!

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  4. Hope he had a wonderful birthday!

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