Sixty-five years is a long time to step aside from a competition; of course, if there is a competition at work.
The first sentence is more like a teaser than the first sentence of a novel, and it is astonishing that at the end of the novel, the person realizes that if he is really that stupid to assume that there is a competition at work, then sixty-five years is the best or perhaps the only time to step aside from this competition.
It makes one wonder what kind of competition could be so significant that it would require such a long hiatus. Maybe it's a cutthroat corporate race for promotion, or a battle for recognition and success in a particular field. The thought of spending sixty-five years on the sidelines, watching others compete, is both daunting and thought-provoking.
Perhaps the lesson here is that sometimes, in the pursuit of success and victory, we need to take a step back and evaluate whether the competition is really worth it. Maybe there are other aspects of life that are more important than winning at all costs.