On the last day of my 50s, I took a chance. I wrote here that I would be at Lucky’s Coffee in Upland on Wednesday morning, a day before my 60th birthday, if anyone wanted to stop by to wish me well.

To be safe, I had my morning newspapers with me to read. That’s based on bitter experience — the sort anyone gains in six decades.

In my case, I had done a book signing in Montclair at Barnes & Noble to which one person came. One! (Thank you, John Fatini of Chino.) I only made it through those two hours with any dignity intact because I’d had the foresight to bring a novel.

Life is a continuing lesson in humility.

So when I arrived at Lucky’s, I was prepared for anything.

Ditto with today, March 17, by the way. As a reminder for my Riverside-area readers, you’re invited to my birthday party from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the utterly unique Weber House, 1510 University Ave. in Riverside, behind the Courtyard by Marriott hotel.

Back to Upland. After getting my usual — an iced almond-milk latte with sugar-free vanilla syrup — I commandeered a sidewalk table, sat down at 9 a.m. and began what could have been a lonely, Maytag-repairman-type shift.

At 9:01 a.m., Jim Weaver was walking down Second Avenue toward me.

Weaver, who’d come straight from the Upland Kiwanis meeting, joined me at my table. He’s 80, older than I’d realized. To his mind, at 60 I’m in late middle age. I like his thinking.

Trudi Blair was next. She always describes herself as my No. 1 fan in Ontario, a position no one has disputed. If it turns out she’s my only fan in Ontario, well, a better fan could not be found.

A few years ago, when I was out sick with pneumonia, she made me chicken noodle soup. That’s when she was a young woman of 90.

At Lucky’s, the well-turned-out Blair told me with a smile: “I’m 96½.” The natty nonagenarian shared that she’d recently passed her driving test with a perfect score, renewing her license for another five years, for what she assumes will be the final time.

She gave me a funny card with a sweet note inside — “… you are a special person because you make us smile in all your articles in the local paper!” — and a box of chocolates from Ontario legacy business Logan’s Candies.

Who should walk up shortly afterward but the mayor of Upland?

Bill Velto, accompanied by two City Hall employees, presented me with a City of Upland Certificate of Recognition, machine-signed by the entire City Council. Gosh!

“Happy 60th birthday to a journalist who’s been breaking news since typewriters were high-tech!” it reads. “May the year ahead be filled with witty headlines and flexible deadlines.”

That’s clever. The mayor admitted he didn’t write it, which probably went without saying.

Velto, 66, recently unretired from real estate and four years ago was elected mayor.

“Sixties is fun,” Velto told me. “I came into my own in my 60s.”

Linda Trawnik, a leader in downtown Upland, was there too. I asked if she had any life advice for my 60s.

“I’ll let you know when I get there,” she said with a wink.

Brian Plummer of Upland handed me a birthday card. He’d written inside: “Sixty is the new 40, by the way.” Splitting the difference, he’s 50.

Before leaving, Plummer said he’d enjoyed my column that morning. That’s the best birthday present I can ask for: a reader who reads me in the present rather than reminiscing about reading me in the past.

Rob Perhamus of Upland was there for a long stretch. Diane Dyann of Rancho Cucamonga gave me a card. A couple of seniors shyly stayed on the periphery. We were able to speak only briefly, and I didn’t get their names. Thank you both for coming.

Christy Orgeta of Upland hung out for a while. We met in 2019 when we both spoke at “Unheard L.A.,” a KPCC-FM storytelling event in Claremont, and hadn’t seen each other since the pandemic.

“I’ll ask my parents if they have any advice,” promised Orgeta, who’s 37. “They’re in their 70s. They spend their time going to casinos.”

Their life advice might be along the lines of “always bet on red.”

Philip “Big Phil” Montgomery of Upland rode his bicycle over to see me. John Baugh did the same from Rancho Cucamonga.

“How much longer do you plan to write for the newspaper?” Baugh, who retired from teaching last year, asked. “As long as you can?”

Or as long as they let me, whichever comes first.

Shirley Wofford of Montclair gave me a gift card to the Back Abbey gastropub, one of my favorite restaurants.

“This is your best time, your 60s,” said Wofford, who’s 88.

Tammy Woodman, my No. 1 fan in Upland, arrived. She’s 93, or, as she put it impishly, “piano keys plus five.”

As someone who’s been reading me since long before my territory expanded to all of San Bernardino County plus Riverside County, she had advice of sorts.

“Don’t let them add any more to your purview,” Woodman urged. “You’re stretched too far already.”

I’m the journalism version of Silly Putty. Press me against the comics and see what happens!

A car slowed. A young woman in the passenger seat called out, “Happy birthday, David Allen!”, before the car drove off. If I’m going to be on the receiving end of a drive-by, this is the best kind.

To my surprise, Charles Zetterberg walked up. I only ever see him around Claremont, but here he was in Upland.

A onetime Pomona Progress-Bulletin paperboy, the attorney played high school sports back when Fred Claire was our sports editor. Zetterberg had the simplest advice of all: “Keep doing what you’re doing.”

Chris Toovey was the last arrival. The co-founder of Pomona’s dA Center for the Arts, the good-humored Toovey is someone I’ve interacted with for 25 years. That means we met when he was a boy of 46, because he’s now 71.

“I’m too young to offer you advice,” Toovey protested. “All I can offer are insights.”

And then it was 11 a.m. The two hours had passed with no downtime — whew.

I gathered up my cards, gifts and certificate of recognition and headed off to lunch. There, I would read my morning newspapers at last.

David Allen, that card, writes Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Email dallen@scng.com, phone 909-483-9339, like davidallencolumnist on Facebook and follow @davidallen909 on Twitter.