Looking at Life

I suppose that looking back over my last 80 years there’s a lot to consider and reconsider.

On August 8 of 1945 I was 8 days old, the first atomic bomb was exploded in a war.

On August 9 of 1945 I was 9 days old, the second atomic bomb was exploded to end the second world wa

On day 1 of every month, I have to pay my rent.

On the 31st day of July I’ll be 81 years old.
My mother lived to be 82 years old, so I won’t be the longest living family member until I get to be 83 years old. That’s another 3 years.

September 14th of 2021, I lost the only woman I ever loved or ever will love. My bride was only 76 years old. I still talk to Joyce, but she hasn’t talked back, YET.

December 1st of 2006 I/we lost Grandma Mickey. She was one of a kind and there will never be another like her. If I knew everything in her life, it would be a great book.

September 4th, 1963 I raised my arm and took an oath to defend this country from enemies both foreign and domestic. I arrived at the naval training center at Great Lakes, Illinois. All of a sudden, I thought; What did I do? Two days later I thought I’d never make it through this training. One of the trainees, a guy named Charlie Rose, took me under his wing and he got me through the 12 weeks of training.

November 22nd of 1963 I graduated from boot camp. Some of you may know what happened on that day. That was the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas.

June 6th 1974, I mustered out of the United States Navy after 10 years and eight months. There were a lot of great times in those years. I was and still am proud of what I did in the navy.
I was 29 years old. That was 52 years ago.

I’m not going to live forever. I have Joyce’s ashes and Grandma Mickey’s ashes in my closet. When I die that will be three boxes of ashes.
Mom and Dad are in the veterans’ cemetery in Springfield. It might not be bad for the three of us to join them there.
I remember both days when they were buried. I cried over losing them. I went back two times to be there beside their graves. That was it, I couldn’t even drive past the cemetery because I cried each time and that’s a busy street and I needed to have both eyes clear enough to drive. My solution was simple, I’ve never driven past there for the last 50 or so years.

I’m trying to decide if I was a good enough man in my life so far. I could have been better; I could have been worse. I’ve still got time to sort that out.