Preface: All About The Kid Once upon a Time

Over on "Retired in Delaware", Ron reminisced about his high school graduation 50 years ago. Billy Coffee at "What I Learned Today" and Katdish at "Hey, Look, a Chicken" are answering questions about themselves. I guess it is time for retrospection.

Well, why not? I'm coming up on some anniversaries these days that once seemed impossibly far away. I graduated high school 50 years ago, too. That's my class in the picture. you can play "Where's Waldo" and figure out where is Nitewrit. Here is a hint to help, I was tall for my time and I wore glasses then. I was male, so I also wore a dark robe.

I weighted 180 pounds when I graduated, basically the same as now, except some things have shifted around a bit. Gravity has grave effects on once youthful bodies. (I was 17 when I graduated.)

Oh, I also had a lot of dark brown wavy hair. It's gray now and not so much. If you wanted to paint my portrait you'd need more skin tone now.

Here I am from my senior Yearbook as a member of the track team. I was very fast. Especially in the mile. I could out run anyone on our team at distance then. Probably outrun everybody in allthe schools we competed against, except Octorara. Problem was, I hated to run. That was all milers did during training - run. The field guys didn't run as much, especially the weight guys, so I choose to throw the discus and shot put. The only meet where I out threw everyone with the discus, I lost my balance and fell out of the circle and was disqualified.

As for the shot put, well, at 180 pounds I was usually the smallest guy in the event. I didn't have the heft or the upper body strength to do well.

But at least I didn't have to run.

I suppose that is one of the few things I would change if you want to know. I would have run the mile. I probably could have won sometimes. Even now I'm pretty fast. Not at the mile, of course, but you'd be hard put to beat me in...oh, say...a three yard sprint.

Well, maybe not since I suffered this hip injury carrying my dog outside a couple months back. Maybe I couldn't run nine feet at all since I don't even walk so well these days.

As I said, lot on anniversaries or milestones are coming up in my life. My 50th Class Reunion from High School as previously noted. I'm actually past the 50 year mark having graduated in May that year. It was a spectacular event. We sat in the front rows of the auditorium and marched across the stage as our name was called. Early on someone kicked a cable and sparks flew like small fireworks the rest of the ceremony.

I graduated high in the class, but I didn't work very hard in school. I never liked being there.

There was a guy wrote a book called, "Everything I Know I Learned in Kindergarten". I can't say that, even though I spent two years in Kindergarten. [I always kid that I flunked Kindergarten, but that isn't the truth. I repeated kindergarten because the school district decided I couldn't enter first grade at age 5.) What I say is, "Everything I know I Learned from Uncle Scrooge Comic Books".

There really was a lot of knowledge in those comics, mythology, history, even economics. When Scrooge and his nephews went to Shangra-la it really taught the difference between socialism and capitalism.

There are a few politicians need read more comic books.

Let me see, what is coming up? Well, Ron of "Retired in Delaware" and I became friends in January 59 years ago, so in sixth months we will celebrate our 6oth year. We grew up in a small town in similar circumstances and we share a lot of things. We have some differences as well, but if one drops every friend with whom one has differences, then we all end up lonely, angry old hermits.

My dad and mom will celebrate their 69th wedding anniversary next week on my mom's 88th birthday. I'm not sure they will make it to the 70th. My dad will be 91 in October and he had been healthy and employed until just a couple months ago. Suddenly he can't work because he was told he can't drive anymore. His heart is too bad, he would be a risk to others on the road.

My wife and I will have our 48th anniversary in a couple months, so we are two years away from that big 50th.

Same month I will be a Christian for 34 years.

If my first child had lived, he'd be about 47. My son is approaching his 27th birthday and my daughters are 28 and 31. And in two weeks I'll be a lot closer to 70 than 60. Pshaw, I'll be closer to 70 than 65 for that matter. Man, oh man, in a dozen years I'll be eighty!

It's amazing the changes in that time. As a young child I listened to radio because there were no TVs, computers, video games, cell phones, IPods and so forth. We didn't have CDs, not even tape cassettes. I had some 78 rpm records and then 45s. Jet planes were new. No rocketships yet. Most movies were still filmed in black and white. We were fighting with Germany and Japan, then Korea (well, I guess we still are fighting Korea, gee, how nice some things from my childhood remain) and had never heard of Iraq or Afghanistan, or Vietnam for that matter.

We were allowed to pray in school. In fact, it was required.

Most Protestants read one version of the Bible, the King James. Catholic Masses were done in Latin.

Cars were monstrous things with big fins on the back. Gasoline was under 20 cents a gallon. I could get a full meal for 50 cents, including the tip.

A few stats on my life: I have had 17 or 18 cars. My address changed 18 times. I lost 7 children and had three who lived. I attended 11 different schools and then numerous classes. Since high school I have worked for 14 different corporations in 11 different type industries. I have had around three hundred poems, stories, essays, speeches and plays published or performed, not counting my Blogs. I have been a comic, a DJ, an editor, an youth minister, an evangelist, a farm hand and a bubblegum welder among other things. I have lived in three states dwelling in swamps, woods, small villages, small and large towns, suburbia and the big city. I've traveled to a majority of the United States and one time to Canada.

I've had one wife.

I guess I've lived a life.

I trust in God: "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. 
 I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." Isaiah 46:4.

I have picked up a few scars. I've been knocked down several times and gotten up. I've been poor and not so poor, employed and unemployed. I've been lost and now I'm found. My body aches and is racked with pain, but I am not afraid of living and I'm not afraid of dying. I hold God to his promises:

They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, "The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him." Psalm 92:14-15

Amen!