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Reflections on 55 Years of Life

Reflections on 55 Years of Life

Last updated on: January 27, 2026 at 7:53 am by Mark Wilson

Reflections on 55 Years of Life 2026-01-26T21:33:41-05:00 Mark Wilson

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55 years ago, I was born.
5 and 1/2 Decades and half a century old.

When I grew up there was no internet for me to use.
I would have to wait to college to use that modern marvel.
I didn’t have a cell phone to use. I had to use pay phones if I was out and needed to make a call.

If I wanted to rewatch a show or movie I liked, I would have to use a new device designed just for that.

A VCR.

I remember instructing my mother on how to work it so she could record Quantum Leap and other shows for me.

My first records were story records.
Disney. Peanuts. G.I. Joe.
For music it was the Monkees because of that show.
I think one of my first cassettes that I owned was the Back to the Future soundtrack.
My first CD was Michael W. Smith’s The Big Picture.
If my memory serves me correct.

I got to see Star Wars and it’s original sequels in the theaters.
This was true of Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. Ghostbusters and of course

Back to the Future.

On TV I watched The A Team, Knight Rider, and a forgotten show called Manimal.

I would go to the library and look stuff up in an actual card catalogue.
I read How to Eat Fried Worms, James and the Giant Peach and the Wizard of Oz original stories.
I had a teacher named Mrs. Wolff who had first-run editions of the original books.
She was my teacher in kindergarten and 2nd grade.
I stayed back in 2nd grade.

My aunt Linda gave me The Marvelous Land of Oz one Christmas
which helped my love of books.

I’ve been a boy scout.
I’ve played Soccer, maybe basketball and Track and Field.
I’ve been in plays and won some money in talent shows.
I’ve been an alter boy, a sacristan, a lector, St. Vincent Paul Society, A CCD teacher, and been on the church council in which I didn’t do much.

I went to St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church.
I was baptized, had first communion and confirmation in that church.
I would go with my father to Saturday morning mass when I could have been home watching the Smurfs.
I went to night rosary with him as well.

My mother was the woman who drove my fellow classmates to school
and my father was the man who went to church.
He was the head usher and had keys to the church.
My wife had keys to a church she attended once when she lived in Fitchburg.

I’ve been married 16 years.
I’ve known my wife for 30 years.
We have a daughter who doesn’t really talk to us.
We have a granddaughter we just saw who was adopted by two moms.
The other granddaughter we have not seen and may never see.
There may be a third Granddaughter on the way.

I don’t see all the friends I have but love them all anyway.
I don’t see my family often but love them anyway.
I’m glad my sisters, cousins, nieces, nephews and various friends are in my life.
I just don’t see them often.

I’ve meet They Might Be Giants, Debbie Gibson and Rich Mullins.
I’ve meet Trent Horn and had Jimmy Akin write an article for my blog.

Kristin and I have traveled a lot of places together.
We’ve been to Florida several times including our honeymoon.
We’ve been to Colorado, Amish Country, The Berkshires Mass,
Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Washington D.C. and to Ireland twice.

I’ve also been to Honduras and North Dakota on a missions trip when I went to Grad School.

I’ve driven from Cape Cod to California with Marshall.
We stopped in Mexico along the way and we’ve also been to Canada together.
I’ve lived in California, Ohio, Wisconsin for a summer, Currently Rhode Island
and several places in Massachusetts where I was born.

I got a associate’s degree from Dean Jr. College now Dean College
I got a bachelor’s degree from Fitchburg State College now Fitchburg University.
That is where I meet most of my important friends I still am in contact with.
Marshall Myers. Dave Patten. The Dubes. and of Course, my wife Kristin Nealon Wilson.

I’ve worked at the Carmelite gift store at the North Shore Mall.
I got a master’s degree from Franciscan University where I worked on Campus.
I also lived with Marshall there.
I also lived with him on Cape Cod and in California as well.

I’ve also worked at CatholicTV and in my local hometown cable station.
I worked on an independent video production one summer.
I worked at a Catholic nursing home, St. Patrick’s manor
and currently work at a secularized Episcopalian nursing home, St. Elizbeth Home.

I’ve always been a Christian.
I’ve mostly been Catholic also.
There was a period where I looked at other Christian churches, but I came back to being Catholic.
I’m never leaving.

I currently attend a sci-fi book group in which I actually listened to the whole book for next month’s selection.
I belong to the Men of St. Joseph and to the Irish Ceilidhe Club of RI.
Kristin and I sometimes volunteer for Church Beyond the Walls in which we help give out food to the homeless.
We’ve also in the past volunteered for the Samaritans.
Kristin is a secular Carmelite.

There is so much more
I could pour out about my life.
But this is what I have shared before I go to bed.
I’m tired from lack of sleep.

I slept in the chapel last night at St. Elizabeth.
I was reminded of Samuel sleeping in the Temple of the Lord.
I like being Catholic.
I like to write about Catholic things.

I currently have a blog at Patheos Catholic called the Catholic Bard.
This post is # 834.
I was thinking all day at work what to write about and thought of this after coming home tonight.
We had a bad snowstorm, and I had to stay overnight last night.
My windshield wipers broke shoveling snow off my car and I did manage to get new ones.
I don’t know how to put them on though.
I got stuck in the snow an a snowplow guy and kid from Burger King helped me get unstuck.

Over a week ago a man helped save my wife’s life when she was choking on a piece of pineapple at Cracker Barrel. I tried to give her the Helmich but wasn’t doing a good job. Glad the guy was there to help.
This is the second time she had a serious chocking incident.
She could have died.
I could have died probably sometime over the past 55 years.
I will someday.
So will Kristin.
So will you.
But for now, I’m alive.
And am celebrating turning 55.

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