46 Years, Really?

On February 11th, 1968, Barbara Jean Schmoe took my right hand and promised to walk with me until death do us part.  It was the best day of my life and for over 2/3rds of my life she has made it one wonderful trip.  We have enjoyed making plans and making them work until we have reached a point in life where I can truly say we have everything we ever needed and most of what we want.  The great thing is that at the end of the month we have money left over when the month ends. 

I think she enjoys watching and wondering what I'll do next

The other day, one of the sportscasters asked one of the male skiers how he managed to get safely down the hill at 70 MPH.  He said he watched way down the hill and see's where he is going not just watching the ground right in front of his skis.  How can we give this gift to our children? (Not just my son, but all our children)  When we do that, we will achieve the status of a truly great Nation. 

I think that is a lesson we have forgotten in a lot of areas.  Instead of trying to give people hope and a positive vision, we talk about all the problems people are having.   Do you think there was a time when I was unemployed?  Hell Yes! but I didn't let that stop talking about our future plans and the realization that we had a course in life and keeping going forward was the path we needed to follow.

I feel it is important that you understand that I started poor and through the luck of the Irish, got to my end goals.  Throw in a lot of hard work and a good education and you will understand me better.  I want you to know that I spent a year living apart from my new wife and in a place where people were seriously trying to take my life.  I slept on the ground a lot of nights and ate food that just nourished my body not my soul.  Everything else since those days has been a journey way below the level that would make me want to quit. 

I also want to mention that right now, my other passion is music. I hope you can find the music that makes your heart soar.  The best I can do is Barbershop Chorus but that's fine.

If hear that one day, I am no longer alive, don't cry, just tell a Denny Petty story, sing a song and move on. 

MUD