As Willie Nelson’s lyrics go, “On The Road Again.” I’ve once again packed my bags and left the comfort and security of home for the unexpected. This time I’m off to Phoenix to meet my wife after her business meetings have concluded. She was feeling the “pressure of performing” in front of corporate after a few sleepless nights. I remember that feeling of being on the defensive, as others ask tough questions that you only hope your thorough preparation and experience provides you with the right answers. There’s always a sense of relief once you get off the hot seat and they are satisfied that you know what you’re doing. I do not miss these grand inquisitions and will be happy for her when she can finally start her long weekend. She has several more years until she can finally join me in retirement. I wish that I could speed that up for her, but despite the headaches and hassles, she still gets great satisfaction out of her career.

I got to the airport with very few hassles. There was no early morning traffic, only sporadic rain, and parking spots were readily available. My luck continued as the shuttle was waiting,baggage check-in was a breeze, and the “TSA Pre” stamp on my boarding pass gave me plenty of time for a McDonald’s breakfast. The typical anxiety of rushing to the airport was quickly passing, and I was ready to relax in my seat. Naturally, the flight was delayed.

I was thinking of getting my shoes shined, but too many others had that same idea. It’s a good thing that we have smart phones and laptops to keep us entertained while we wait. Out of boredom, I ran across a list of “100 movies you should see before you die.” I had forgotten about the to-do lists I had made while I was “practicing for retirement” in the years prior to Social Security. I must have misplaced my page of movie-watching musts after covering those of immediate interest, so it’s good to revisit what I’ve missed.

There were 47 of the 100 on this particular list that I don’t remember ever seeing, most dating back to before anything for me but a cartoon was worth my limited attention. I also avoided black and white movies until recent years, so the classics were also not on my must- see list. I’m also certain that I’ve seen and forgotten 25 percent of those I gave myself credit for watching, and another 25% of the titles that I claim to have seen were to avoid the embarrassment of admitting to being behind the times. I’m “notorious” for selecting movies and discovering after a few minutes of watching that I’ve already seen it. I’ve also been stubborn about watching movies a second or third time, but now appreciate the value in seeing them again. I recently agreed to see Three Billboards Outside Ebbings, Missouri for a second time and picked up on many things I missed the first time. The good thing about getting old is that you can’t remember seeing half the movies you’ve sat through, and even if you do remember, you couldn’t hear most of what was said. As a result, I would probably enjoy going through all 100. Here’s the link:

https://www.listchallenges.com/100-movies-to-see-before-you-die/checklist/

In going through the list this morning, these were the movies that are missing from my memory and in some cases the year they were released:

Bananas 1971
Annie Hall 1977
Rushmore 1998
My Own Private Idaho 1991
Mean Girls 2004
In The Mood for Love 2000
Talk To Her 2002
The Red Shoes 1948
Mulholland Drive 2001
Freaks 1932
Plan 9 From Outer Space 1959
Suspiria 1977
The Thing 1982
Fat Girl 2001
The Matrix 1999
Enter The Dragon
The Third Man 1949
Modern Times 1936
The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari 1920
Ikiru 1952
City Lights 1931
Seven Samurai 1954
Yojimbo 1961
M 1931
The Apartment 1960
Se7en 1995
Rashomon 1950
The Night of the Hunter 1955
The Usual Suspects 1995
12 Angry Men 1957
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans 1927
The General 1926
The Wages of Fear 1953
Paths of Glory 1957
The Bicycle Thief 1949
The 400 Blows 1949
Persona 1966
It Happened One Night 1934
The Seventh Seal 1957
High and Low 1963
Strangers on A Train 1951
Modern Times 1936
Momento 2000
Leon: The Professional 1994
Wild Strawberries 1957
Le Samourai 1967
Raging Bull 1980

At the low average of even two hours each in length, that’s nearly 100 hours of retirement bingeing. Please pass the low-salt, fake- butter popcorn.