It would make more sense if abbreviation wasn't such a long word!

It is Wednesday, August 17, 2011. It's over. It's one of those milestone events that I can now close the book on. I will never turn 65 again. It was a great day for me. So many well wishers and such an outpouring of recognition. I honestly had to do a double take to figure out exactly what was going on. But it is all appreciated. And, we still have the big celebration planned for this coming Sunday with our entire family clan. That's always something to look forward to. I Googled "Today I turn 65" and there were a sizable number of matches. Folks typically wanted to wax philosophical in their reflections on what it means to arrive at this age. If 55 is the new 40 which some scientists seem to believe, then using that same metric, my 65 becomes 50, and I still have a ways to go before I need to share some of my profound thoughts.That implies that I have any profound thoughts and it also would suppose that after nearly 1100 of these daily blogs that I have any more to say on the subject. Of course, you do know by now, that not having anything to add has never been an impediment to me going on and on and on. One lady said she never had been 65 before. That's pretty much a no-brainer. Right? But she said she couldn't rightly remember what she felt like when she was 48, therefore, she wasn't clear on the concept of attempting to match her feelings to a particular age. While I may not be able to match a specific age I can certainly remember when I felt differently than I do today. Before arthritis. Before diabetes. But all in all I am very satisfied with my arrival here, but I promise to get back to you if something really profound happens to show up on my radar screen.

Many have inquired about what I want to do with the rest of my life. I suppose the number 65 rings a bell in the mindset where retirement is concerned. That concept, my friend, is becoming more and more of an illusion thanks to the economy and the policies our government has followed. Fortunately, we have God as our Guide, therefore, we seek His direction for our decisions regarding these types of matters. The situation in our nation is grim and almost daily I hear people, especially younger folks, who just want to tune it all out. They do not want to know about the news because they tell me it's just too depressing. That reminds me of our kids when they were little tykes. They thought they could hide and because they couldn't see me, that I couldn't see them. The real world is not going away because we choose to ignore its reality. This attitude is why many of our young adults do so poorly when they are given an impromptu quiz on items pertaining to our government and those holding key positions. I understand their frustration, however, we need everyone to become informed and to become involved in this grand democracy experiment.

As all of you know by now, I was raised up in a  rural town, Hornbeck, Louisiana. Lately, a number of pages have been springing up on Facebook devoted to people sharing memories about their hometown. The name goes like this: "You might be from Hornbeck, Louisiana if you remember....." This gives folks the incentive to sign up and lay out their best stories. There's over 200 on the Hornbeck page with new ones joining every day. Some use the forum to remember a person who made an impact on their life. Others remind the audience of special places like a cafe, a drive inn, a special swimming hole, or some other landmark. This stirs folks up and the memories and recollections flow. Then folks respond to those responses and it goes on and on. That's exactly how it is supposed to work. Sadly, a few only have bad memories and they have some pretty rough things to say about our little town. They obviously didn't get what I did, that full measure of the 'Mayberry' effect. Most of those doing the sharing are much younger than I, therefore, the things they talk about are not of significance to me. But it is still fun to observe them talking up our little town. I'm not saying every memory there was a good one, but on balance, the folks there intentionally worked to influence my life for good, and I feel blessed by God for having been raised there. Excuse my glowing a little but it might be part of that rub off that comes from making it to the big 65. Now it's on to the next chapter where we cannot see what awaits just around the bend. But, you can be sure, I'll keep you posted. Have a good day and may God bless. Amen.   .....More later.


PS: I know Elvis went and died on my birthday and I know there are still fans that flock to his grave on August 16 each year to light a candle. Let me just tell you that the outpouring of expressions of love and appreciation I've received on my birthday, well, they trump any amount on candles on a grave. Know what I mean? Think about it. It will come to you.