The Best Time of My Life
喬·肯普 / Joe Kemp
It was June 15， and in two days I would be turning thirty. I was insecure about entering a new decade of my life and feared that my best years were now behind me.
My daily routine included going to the gym for a workout before going to work. Every morning I would see my friend Nicholas at the gym.
He was seventy-nine years old and in terrific shape.
As I greeted Nicholas on this particular day， he noticed I wasn’t full of my usual vitality and asked if there was anything wrong.
I told him I was feeling anxious about turning thirty. I wondered how I would look back on my life once I reached Nicholas’s age， so I asked him， “What was the best time of your life？”
Without hesitation， Nicholas replied， “Well， Joe， this is my philosophical answer to your philosophical question：
“When I was a child in Austria and everything was taken care of for me and I was nurtured by my parents， that was the best time of my life.
“When I was going to school and learning the things I know today， that was the best time of my life.
“When I got my first job and had responsibilities and got paid for my efforts， that was the best time of my life.
“When I met my wife and fell in love， that was the best time of my life.
“The Second World War came， and my wife and I had to flee Austria to save our lives. When we were together and safe on a ship bound for North America， that was the best time of my life.
“When we came to Canada and started a family， that was the best time of my life.
“When I was a young father， watching my children grow up， that was the best time of my life.
“And now， Joe， I am seventy-nine years old. I have my health， I feel good and I am in love with my wife just as I was when we first met. This is the best time of my life.”
那是6月15日，還有兩天我就30歲了。即將邁入我生命中的又一個嶄新的十年，我感到有些不安，害怕最美好的時光會離我遠去。