Today marks a decade since suffering a near fatal heart attack. The widow maker that kills 19 of every 20 men.

I was the one who walked away.

Ten years seems like a long time and feels like yesterday all in the same moment. It took three years marked by four surgeries, including open heart surgery in February 2004, to regain my health. But knock on wood, I haven’t had a bad day since. I’m very lucky.

But I’ll be honest – it took me seven years to get past it. Where it didn’t define who I was. When people no longer asked how I was doing. To have people around who didn’t know me then so they had no idea what I went through. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to have people who care, but it’s also nice just to feel normal, too.

I no longer think about dying in the near future. My doctor Anne Safko — my Florence Nightingale for whom I’d do anything – says I’ll live to 80. That sounds interesting, but right now at 52 I’m just glad to feel fine outside the normal aches and pains. I don’t feel 25, but I can do whatever I want. I just have to work harder now.

My life since that day has completely changed. I was the best damn sports writer in town covering the Washington Redskins. It was an 80-hour, high-adrenaline lifestyle that I loved. And if I could, I probably would still be doing it.

But I can’t and don’t want the thankless task of being a beat writer covering a bad team. I like my new life. I’m still very fortunate to work for a daily newspaper as the sports columnist for The Washington Examiner. I get to write what I think four times a week. After 34 years covering local sports, I’m more interested in offering analysis than hearing some ballplayer yak about something I’ve heard 20 other players say over the years. That’s not their fault, just the downside of me still being around to hear it.

I decided in 2005 that I couldn’t handle the daily reporter pace so I left the Washington Times after 20 years for the Examiner and a side job as a Realtor. I like real estate, but it hasn’t liked me much. I swear if I went to work for Exxon gas would be 99 cents in a month.

I enjoyed one decent year before the nation’s worst real estate slump ever that is still a couple years away from ending. I still sell real estate occasionally if you’re looking for a Realtor, but in the interest of eating three meals a day I looked for additional part-time work.

So I became a Washington tour guide in October 2010. Best thing I could have done. I’ve lost 30 pounds from walking, make decent money and work when I want. Can’t beat that. It’s story telling like newspapers and I meet lots of nice people from around the country and world.

So what have I learned over the past decade?

• Life is short and it goes fast. Enjoy the moment.

• Don’t worry so much. Probably 98 percent of what we worry about is going to happen regardless of our actions. My stress level now is pretty low because I know things will work out.

• I don’t have to pretend to be 16. I don’t quite understand people who do. I’m 52 and OK with that. Being older doesn’t mean I’m worthless.

• If you don’t like my opinion, that’s fine. The best part of our country is you’re allowed to have your own opinion without fear.

• Also, we don’t have to be friends. I’m OK with that. I’m not looking to be your enemy, but I really don’t care if you don’t like what I write in my columns. As long as I feel I’m honest, that’s all that matters.

So what will the next decade hopefully bring? The best part of the past 10 years was seeing my daughters both graduate from the University of Maryland as I did and entering journalism. They’re both very talented. In the next 10 years, I expect both will marry and have children. I have some ideas on what mischief grandpas can create.

My wife and I enjoy traveling so I’m hoping to add the final 12 states to reach 50 and four more continents to have seen all seven. I really want to see Antarctica despite hating the cold.

As long as my health is good, I figure to keep working. Maybe not the hectic 60-hour weeks I often do, but I’ve learned I enjoy working and hate just sitting around so you won’t hear me complain about work. That said, who knows what I’ll be doing 10 years from now. Life’s a journey – it’s OK to try new things.

I guess that’s what I’ve learned most – change isn’t bad. This is just one lifetime. I’ll eventually move on to the next. Anyone who goes through what I have either embraces or abandons God. I strengthened my belief and learned that God always has me where I need to be. Maybe not where I want to be, but things work out in the end.

So thanks to all my family and friends for the past 10 years. I hope we can spend time together soon.