Will You Still Need Me When I’m 64?

I couldn’t ask for more

John McGinniss
6 min readApr 4, 2024
Parasailing in our 60s Photo by John McGinniss

I had just turned seven when the song “When I’m 64” appeared on the Beatles’ classic album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

I’ve been a die-hard Beatles fan since the four lovable mop tops burst across our TV screens that magical Sunday evening in February of 1964. My son’s name, Zak, is a nod to Ringo’s son.

When my father came home from work one evening, he surprised me with the Sgt. Pepper album. I eagerly ripped the cellophane off the album and raced to the Westinghouse Hi-Fi stereo my parents had saved up for that past Christmas.

After carefully lowering the needle onto the record, I lay on the floor, looking at the album, seeing how our mop tops now had mustaches, and reading the lyrics (the first with lyrics included!). I found myself mesmerized by the new sounds bouncing off the wood-paneled walls of our TV room.

My parents installed the lime green shag carpet the following year.

I couldn’t possibly imagine what being 64 would be like. My parents were 34 and 35, and I thought THEY were old. My grandparents were all in their mid-60s and probably fought off dinosaurs in their youth as they walked to school uphill both ways.

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John McGinniss
John McGinniss

Written by John McGinniss

Passionate about helping others with personal finance. Writing about my observations of life and creating new experiences. Walking the Jersey shore at night.

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