Once in a while, I will have the curious question, "What do I want out of life?" cross my mind. The funny part is that I worked pretty darned hard to get things the way they are and even when a small windfall of money crossed my palms, I had no large pressing needs to fulfill. I recon that is what I really want. It might be nice to have a magic lantern and be able to make things happen without a lot of work but, where is the satisfaction in that?
OK, OK there are a couple of things I would like to have happen that involve me a lot more than I want to admit, but even if they don't, the world isn't going to fall in. I do have a garage door spring that broke, a rental house that could use some paint and a couple of old cars sitting around that need to be hauled off. None of these are worthy of worry until it cools off later on this fall.
Can anyone tell me why a family would go to a river in Louisiana for a family party and have so many kids in the water that don't know how to swim? Was it six or seven kids that drowned trying to save each other? Time after time you read about people with a dog that gets in deep water and they try to save the dog and drown. Most times the dog swims to safety without help. I don't really remember when I learned to swim, only that I was like a tadpole and swam as much under water as on top. I know that I can float to the top of the water if I need to and unless I was to get a mouth full of water when I didn't expect it, could probably not drown. Just this week a young man got off work from the overnight shift and went to Lake Shawnee and went swimming. Not a great swimmer and he too drowned. If I had it my way, every kid would have to go through the drown proofing class like the Army has. I am pretty sure that in High school, they took us down to the pool and made us swim the length of the pool. Like a dummy I swam the entire length and didn't get to take the swimming class. I think we played tennis or soccer for that semester. I would have loved the swimming class. DUH Dennis!
That's what I want - 20/20 hindsight. The ability to Monday Morning quarterback life with a good dose of "Do Overs." Nah, I would probably find myself in an endless "To Do" loop and never progress. Life has been a 63 year long adventure so far and I'll just be glad I've had it this good. See y'a tomorrow.
MUD
Good post, MUD. Yeah, that drowning took place about three miles from my house.
ReplyDeleteIt was real sad, and real stupid. When I grew up here the Red River was not navigable, and was not open to public recreation. We were taught that only fools swim in that river...the undertow is deceptively strong.
Now, they've got parks and stuff near it, and people think it's okay to get out in that thing. Sad, and stupid.
None of the adults could even swim. One kid was saved by somebody else that just happened to be there.