Some days I feel like I am reaching. Surely this is one of them.

In the Star Trek realm, today's edition can be referred to as Star Date 3146. That was a ruse because it's actually the 3,146th edition of my blog posts, but, I suppose I could say who's counting, but, since I brought it up I think I have identified the counter. It is Thursday, August 29, 2019, and I mention the number because I do often think about my postings becoming so repetitive that even something new sounds like we've been there and done that. My synapses may still be generating signals but it's hard to tell how strong they are based on what ends up on the electronic page. I've read enough of some people's stuff I can almost guess how a new posting will unfold and how it will end up. I don't want to be that guy. For lack of a better term, I don't want to become boring. Let's face it, the reader does not have the opportunity to stop me if they have heard it before. Even worse, if they have heard it hundreds of times before. I do wrestle with these kinds of things. I've given thought many times before to when it will be the best time to ride off into the sunset. Especially when I have hit a major milestone, like the 500th blog, the 1,000th, 2,000th, and on and on. I'm just sharing this so that everyone knows I am aware of how things can become stale and rote. I actually search my blogs at times if I think I've told the same story before. It doesn't always cause me not to share it again, but, it is at least done knowing that it is being repeated. As far as the spiritual things I write about, well, they typically reflect my understanding of the truth God has allowed us to know, therefore, I would be concerned if these did not carry a continuing common thread. I never watched the TV show "My So-Called Life", but, I do understand it too ran its course. For now, we trudge forward and as I have always done, I will see what springs forth the next time I sit at the keyboard.

It's been a long time since I've talked about these early computing devices.

While we were on our train ride last week I struck up a conversation with a fellow who is a retiree from Shell Oil Company. I think he put in about 40 years in an engineering capacity. We hit it off because we were both working the oil patch so to speak at about the same time. In addition to this, Shell bought out the assets of my company including my retirement, therefore, I too receive a check from Shell each month. He dates back to the days when business computing was done on punch cards. Me too. We were able to rehearse a lot of war stories about those old days. His wife and the others traveling with them went to explore the other cars on the train, so, that left my wife to hear way too many episodes of our walk down memory lane. These folks travel up to the mountains each year and spend the hot months there. They have been doing that for years. The friends with them are part of the RV travel family. This year, they came up to the area in June, just after getting back from a cruise up to Alaska. They all bring their RV's and camp at the same site each year. It would be easy to think that to be the 'good life', but, I later told the wife I don't think I would trade the things we are privileged to do in serving others through our local fellowship. Yep. Serving does require a commitment that would make taking a few months off each year problematic. He was born in Mississippi. Me, a Louisiana boy. When we got tired of swapping oil company stories, we took on being from the south, sports, and all things downhome country. I'm pretty sure I noticed the wife dozing off a time or two and I can't blame her one bit.

We don't watch that many movies but we did see one on TV while we were on our recent getaway. We just happened upon it on one of the movie channels. It was from the year 2000, "My Dog Skip". It starred several mainline actors, but, the boy, played by Frankie Muniz, was the main character along with the Jack Russell Terrier who played the role of Skip. This was a true story of Willie Morris who grew up in the 1940s. Morris would later become a Rhodes Scholar and an accomplished author. Growing up in Yazoo, Mississipi, he was a frail and often bullied child. The story depicted in the movie is how Skip came into his life and changed everything. I'm not one for syrupy, sappy moments but that movie was loaded up with them. From the get-go. As we got into the movie the wife said maybe we shouldn't watch it because she knew how much I was missing Mr. Bentley. What? Now she is a mind reader? It was gritty and both heart and gut-wrenching. As for whether it impacted me or not, I tried to make it clear that my allergies were acting up. And, I didn't need her trying to hand me a tissue to know that. Just because one clears their throat and coughs a little should not be made into a big deal. Right? If you haven't seen it yet and you like these kinds of syrupy, sappy movies, I would recommend it. One caution: Don't watch it if your allergies are messed up, it could lead to a misunderstanding. Maybe I could get the DVD and show it to Mr. Bentley. I don't think so. We are still trying to get him to pay more attention to the police dogs on Live PD. Have a great rest of the day and may God add His blessings. Amen. ....More later.