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From my first visit to St. Augustine, Fla., as a 10-year-old, I was intrigued by the mythology surrounding 16th-century Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon’s purported search for the fountain of youth on the tropical peninsula he hoped to settle. Now a bit older, I wish Senor de Leon’s supposed quest had been a successful fact, rather than legendary fiction to attract gullible tourists to the Sunshine State. Perhaps the famous welcome centers at Florida’s border could have served such a magic elixir instead of the state’s most famous beverage: orange juice. Those searching to mask the ravages of time must rely on such things as hair dye, Botox, chemical peels, and plastic surgery.

Attending a recent holiday reception at the White House, hosted by the president and first lady, I discovered a less painful remedy that seems to suit President Joe Biden, our first octogenarian chief executive. After enjoying the decorations and sampling the buffet, I positioned myself directly in front of the podium centered in the mansion’s main entryway. With holiday music filling the hall from the “President’s Own” Marine Band, and lights and ornaments brightening the rainy evening, the president and Jill Biden walked to the small stage to welcome the guests and raise a toast to the season. They looked festive, he in his dark suit and she in an ivory dress, but I wondered how tiresome it must be to have to greet hundreds of revelers throughout December who are partying in your home, one floor below the residence level.

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