250325 Wondering

I’m wondering what would have happened if I didn't enlist in the navy.

I had a job working in a service station, pumping gas, changing oil, lubricating steering components and repairing flat tires. It paid $1 an hour, decent pay for the time. I’d be living at home, but for how long? How long would it take for me to afford an apartment and pay for utilities?

I would still have married Joyce, but most likely we would have stayed in Saint Louis. It’s doubtful we would ever have lived in California, likely never had the farm, never had all the trips to the Oklahoma casinos that we both enjoyed so much. The best thing would have never been separated as we were at times when I was overseas. It seems life always has its trade offs.

By not being in the navy, I would never have had all of the travels I had and seen the countries I did or had all the excitement I had, both during work hours or during liberty times in foreign countries. All of the stories I’ve posted through the years would never have happened. We would never have lived in California during the times it was a great place to live. I would never have had a long term job at Litton in Springfield for 19 ½ years doing a job that I enjoyed, never meeting all the fine people who worked there.

As I wrote before, life always seems to have its tradoffs. Life is not always a highway. Sometimes it’s 50 miles down a bumpy rock road.

Life goes on and it’s a lot different at 80 years old than it was when I was a young man full of strength, of love and devotion.

Brother Bill