I am in my mid-sixties now. My friends are retiring, but I feel like I am just getting started. Technically, I am just an Old Guy but I am ready for (almost) anything.
As an Old Guy, I am expected to be winding things down, retiring, moving to Florida, sitting by the pool, buying ice cream for grandchildren, and basically just disappearing until I eventually get dementia and pass on.
I really don’t like that at all. I mean NFW to that!
There is that guy you might have heard of called The World’s Most Interesting Man. He supposedly said:
The Most Interesting Man’s one regret is not knowing what regret feels like.
I want that to be my only regret too. So I have launched
The Bruce Projects.
The big reveal – to myself – and to you — is simply this: I now just say yes to every single thing I’ve never done and see what happens.
If you are a fellow Old Guy, you might do the same.
This website — and The Bruce Projects — are dedicated to us Old Guys. If I can do it, then so can you.
So far, my range of interests keeps growing and now includes a whole bunch of interests strewn about this website, ranging from: becoming a true philosopher — to Getting Ripped at (Age 65), and now Getting More Ripped at 66 — to keeping my (multiple) day jobs in the Real Estate Industry – to writing poetry — to writing fiction — to writing non-fiction — to (sadly) golf — to (gulp) politics — and all sorts of other stuff.
And the more outside my comfort zone something is, the more I need to give it a try.
During my 40-year career in New York real estate, I have been very “successful” in life – almost no matter how you define ‘success’ – I’ve done it all career-wise. So often people – usually kids – ask me what has been the reason for my success? I always give the same (truthful) answer, which is the heart of it:
I am not afraid to make a fool of myself
The one exception is physical danger, but otherwise I am now planning to try just about everything. It has been my programming at heart to realize that not trying something out is a decision and there is usually more to lose by not trying than by trying.
And — yes — this website and The Bruce Projects puts me at risk of being made fun of.
Why Am I Doing This?
There are two reasons:
First (for me) — because for about 40 years I have been in a tunnel (of work) and now I am out of the tunnel, so every day is now a thrill for me. So as far as I am concerned this will be fun.
Second (for you — i.e. fellow Old Guy) — at heart I love to inspire people – I always did and I always will – and maybe my doing this will inspire you.
Perhaps if you follow me in The Bruce Projects you may find your own [insert your name here] Projects. There is certainly nothing stopping you from doing just about anything you want except your decision – made every single day – not to do these things.
So tomorrow maybe you start out slow by saying a friendly hello to that guy/gal you see in Starbucks every morning but never speak to. You never know what will happen if you do that, and you already know what will happen if you don’t do that. I did it a few months ago and Pat and Gary (a couple actually older than me) are now my Starbucks buddies who I love seeing every day.
To conclude my intro, if a particular Bruce Project sounds interesting to you, don’t be afraid! Give me a shout and maybe we can collaborate somehow. What is the worst that will happen if you do?
And imagine what might happen if you create your own Projects.
You can follow along with me on both X/Twitter, and Threads.
PS: if you yourself aren’t an Old Guy (yet), but you know an Old Guy, or are related to an Old Guy, maybe you might send him my way.